Team Ozpin Series One: Dawn
by DarthFissure95
Summary: How was Beacon Academy established? What was Ozpin like during his pre-professor days? What did he mean by 'making more mistakes than any man, woman, and child? This series explains that and more in an exciting prequel series to the web show RWBY, taking place many years before Ruby Rose first arrived at Beacon.
1. Ozpin

**AN: Hey everyone! I decided to do a little bit of an experiment. I'm a big fan of the web series RWBY produced by the popular Internet company Rooster Teeth. If you haven't seen the show, I highly recommend that you check it out. It's on Netflix now if you want to watch the show as feature length films, which is the most fun way of watching them. Anyway, this is my fanfic to flesh out Professor Ozpin's back-story, and I had a lot of fun writing this first story to get things started. If the feedback is good, I'll keep going. For those of you who are reading my other series The silvan Elf (a Tauriel fanfic) and are worried that I stopped writing that series for this, let me assure you that that is not the case. The Silvan Elf will still keep going, but this will also be something I'll be doing on the side so that I can still do something new. Anyway, hope you guys like this!**

*A large black crow flew over a young man with hair that was already turning silver despite his age. The young man looked up to watch the crow soar away and disappear into the trees. Crows were a rare sight in the world of Remnant now.

The young man returned his attention to what he was doing. Gathering small colorful crystals and dropping them in a jar. A bizarre combination of red, blue, and green were jumbled together in the boy's jar. The boy looked up to watch a young girl that was just two years younger than her, with yellow hair and sharp green eyes. She too was gathering crystals and putting them in a jar.

"How many now, Glynda?" The boy asked.

"I've lost count," the girl replied, half-smiling, "I think I'm winning."

The boy smiled and sighed. He stood up and dusted himself off, brushing the dirt off his pants. He felt a small pinch in his back and twitched.

"I'm only nineteen. How can I feel this way already?" He complained.

"How can you have silver hair already?" Glynda pointed out.

The boy pushed his hair back, realizing it was so thick that it was almost pointless to try getting it out of his eyes. Thick strands dangled in front of his eyes.

"You wouldn't be the first to ask that question. I think that's enough for today," he said. Glynda screwed the lid back on her jar and slipped it under her arm.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. We've collected enough," the boy said.

"What about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow we go to Vale. We have to meet with James."

Glynda reluctantly nodded. Then both of them froze when they heard a sound. A sound that belonged to an animal.

And not just any kind of an animal, a creature of Grimm.

"Get down," the boy whispered. He crouched and inched closer to Glynda, and the two of them carefully made their way over to a dense bush to hide. They peered over the other side, and sure enough, there was an Ursa on all fours sniffing the air.

The boy put a hand on Glynda's shoulder in case he needed to shove her down. The Ursa fidgeted and turned its head so that it was looking behind it. Suddenly, an arrow flew and sank into the Ursa's head right between the eyes. The Ursa tipped over and fell onto its side. Glynda moved.

"Stay still," the boy warned. For a few long seconds, nothing else happened. Then the hunters came. A tall man dressed in a black trench coat and bowler hat stepped out from the trees, followed by four other men wearing black suits.

"This one got it right between the eyes," the leader said. One of his followers smirked.

"What a stupid bear. Didn't see it coming."

"Now start digging. I want a couple more crystals before sundown," the leader ordered.

"Yes sir," the four men said in unison.

The boy trembled in anger. His hand strayed to the gun he had made himself when he was just ten. Glynda spotted his movement and clasped her hand to his arm.

"No. We shouldn't cause a scene," she whispered.

"If we don't do something, they'll just keep going," the boy insisted.

"Ozpin, please…"

"No more discussion," the boy Ozpin said. He stood up, aimed his gun at one of the digging men, and fired a blast. The blast exploded near him, flinging the man away like a rag doll. The leader of the group whirled around to face Ozpin, with a rifle already in hand.

"Careful, kid. These cartridges are full of bullets made from very powerful Dust. I wouldn't mess with us," he said.

"Stop trying to dig up crystals. They need to be preserved. You're taking them to create your own weapons," Ozpin sneered.

"Of course. That's how profit is made. That's business, kid. Now go before you end up like this Ursa," the leader threatened, kicking the corpse of the Ursa to make his point.

"Business. Business that gets other people killed?" Ozpin challenged. The leader grinned.

"Alright. I warned you," he said. He then pulled safety lock on his rifle, and a long silver blade popped out of the barrel and the trigger area changed into a hilt handle. He stepped back.

"Take him down," he ordered his men. The three remaining men charged at Ozpin with swords of their own. Ozpin leaped out of the bush, pressed a hidden button on his gun, and pulled the trigger. A wire shot out and wrapped itself around the leg of one of the men. He yanked, pulling the man off his feet. He then grabbed another man, shoved him in front of the third and let loose another blast from his gun at close range, blowing both of them away with a blast that kicked up dirt and glittering dust from the ground.

"It appears I am still up," Ozpin remarked as he surveyed his surroundings after the fight.

"What about your reputation? I'm sure Vale would be very interested to hear that Callus Torchwick got in a fight with a young boy in a forest and lost."

Callus's eyes turned a deadly scarlet and his hands balled into fists. "Next time," he muttered. He twirled the rifle-sword in his hand, deactivated the blade, and stomped away.**

*Ozpin and Glynda stood in front of Vessel Lake with their jars, staring down at the water.

"We don't know where Dust came from, but we were born from it, and now we use it. Let's remember to use it for the right reasons, and not for evil reasons. This dust will be released into the lake as a reminder of how special it is," Ozpin said. He opened his jar, and released the crystals into the lake, watching them glisten as the rays of sunlight reflect off of them. After a few seconds, Glynda opened her own jar and did the same.

Ozpin loved watching the dust and crystals fall into the water and create bright color combinations.

If there was a god that was involved at all in the making of this stuff, he had good taste.

"My sister Theodora is probably wondering where we are now. The sun's light is almost gone," Glynda said looking behind her. Sure enough, the sun's rays had almost completely disappeared and the light of the shattered moon above began to penetrate the night air.

Ozpin spent a moment to look up at the moon, some of which was floating in pieces, as if parts of the moon had completely broken off. Sometimes the moon looked like a tragic mess, and other times the moon actually looked completely whole. To this day, no one understood why the moon was this way. Some say that the moon's appearance changed depending on the state of Remnant itself. If too much evil was running around causing trouble, the moon looked broken. If the world was more at peace, the moon looked more whole, but those nights were unfortunately rare.

This was especially thanks to the state of Vale itself. Vale had no real security or control over people's behavior. People often got away with robberies and discrimination between humans and the Faunus race was prevalent.

That's why Ozpin enjoyed the calm living in the forest, close by an abandoned fortress that had been empty for hundreds of years. It was also a place that he and Glynda were able to go and try adding things of their own to make it their own place to go to get away from home.

Three years ago, Glynda's and Theodora's parents were killed by creatures of Grimm, so Ozpin and his own parents took them in and raised them, and over a very short period of time, Ozpin and Glynda became best friends.**

*Ozpin and Glynda returned home with their empty jars, where they found Theodora was making dinner. The smell of beef soup reminded Oz how immensely hungry he actually was and he didn't waste a second to get in on the action.

Theodora was Glynda's younger sister. She had darker hair than Glynda's, with turquoise eyes and a scar down the bridge of her nose that she received during the Grimm attack that led to her parents' death. Ozpin couldn't help but think that she was actually more attractive than Glynda, but it was partially because of her rougher exterior.

"Anything to declare about today?" Theodora asked as she handed out bowls of soup. Glynda looked at Oz, but he shook his head.

"Nothing special. Just more gathering and preserving," he lied.

"Well, I did a little bit of preserving myself that I think you both might like to see," Theodora said. Ozpin looked up, his interest piqued.

"Go on," he encouraged. Theodora set the pot down and bustled into her room and came out with a glittering white shirt with a low V-neck.

"I made a special trip to Vale and got you a shirt, Glynda. See? It already has Dust sown into it to give it a glittering effect, nothing more," Theodora said. Glynda took the shirt and gave it a good long look.

"It's beautiful. Now I don't always have to wait to see this until me and Ozpin release the…"

Ozpin cleared his throat. "It is lovely, I agree. Surely a good use of your time, and a good gift."

"I knew you'd love it. Thank you," Theodora said, though she looked slightly confused from Ozpin's interruption.**

*Ozpin was shaken awake and saw Glynda staring down at him.

"Can't sleep?" He muttered. Glynda didn't have to answer.

"To the 'happy place' it is," Ozpin said.**

*Ozpin's parents never minded if he and Glynda went to the empty fortress in the middle of the night. Occasionally, Glynda would have nightmares that threatened to keep her up, so she always felt better if they went to the fortress, or the 'happy place' as they liked to nickname it.

Ozpin lit several torches on the walls in a large room that had a platform like a stage in the front. Someday, Ozpin believed, they could use the stage for training purposes.

"Well, what's the plan?" He asked. His voice echoed through the vast room, giving the atmosphere an eerie feel.

"I was hoping we can do something different this time."

"Oh?"

"I was hoping you can teach me a little bit about Aura."

This caught Ozpin by surprise. Normally, Glynda just liked for Ozpin to tell her stories of heroes and monsters and tell of the old legends that have been passed down over centuries. Glynda was always into history and stories of heroism.

But Aura training this time? That was a gigantic request. Still, she had to learn eventually.

"Come here," Ozpin said. Glynda stepped over to Ozpin so that she was almost touching him.

"Now, close your eyes and concentrate," he instructed. Glynda closed her eyes and Ozpin placed a hand on her shoulder.

"_For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon__of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite and distance and unbound by death. I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee_."

Glynda opened her eyes in shock. She had heard Ozpin's words in her head. She could feel something being activated within her. Her Aura. It was her own Aura.

"Ozpin?" She asked.

"It's alright. I used my Aura to unlock yours. Your Aura is used to defend yourself. It will be your ally," Ozpin promised. Glynda looked down at her hands. A faint glow emanated from them.

Ozpin grinned in satisfaction. He was going to be a teacher to his best friend.**

*Collus Torchwick threw his coat and hat at the hanger rack on the wall, both of which fell to the floor right underneath it.

"You know, most people just hang them up themselves," a voice said. Collus slammed his fist against the wall.

"Not now, Roman," he sneered. Collus's son Roman peeked his head out from the other room. He had orange hair with long bangs covering his right eye and he wore eyeliner.

"You normally come back home happy," he pointed out.

"I was humiliated by a young man in the forest. He had a weapon, and was telling me to stop mining crystals," Collus said.

Roman smirked. "And you let him win?"

"I did _not _let him win. But I underestimated him, and I didn't want my reputation to be...shaken."

"Your reputation is already shaken, dad. You have me as a son."

"Yes. Yes, I suppose you're right," Collus said.

Roman retreated to his room, closing the door behind him and staring at the pile of crystals on his desk that he had snatched away behind his father's back.

"You're a fool, dad."**

*Vale never changed, no matter how many days Ozpin would spend away from it. It wasn't easy to stay away from the city for too long.

Ozpin and Glynda came straight from the fortress, having hastily dressed in new clothes. Glynda had her light blonde hair tied up in a bun with a curl dangling from the side. Ozpin wore a green scarf untied around his neck so that both ends dangled down in front of his shirt.

The city looked sadly run-down. Trash littered the sidewalks, and the signs on most of the stores were faded and discolored. The phrase 'Brothers and sisters, the White Fang cares' was sprayed in grafitti on one wall of a store. Some of the holographic street lights were strangely deactivated.

Ozpin finally found what he was looking for. A small restaurant called The Witch's Apple run by Poma Gran. Ozpin and Glynda walked in and approached the front counter. Poma herself was there, dressed in a dark blue shirt and light red apron.

"James is downstairs waiting," she said before Ozpin could say a word.

"Thank you Ms. Poma," Ozpin replied. They entered the kitchen, opened a door, and walked down the stairs into a large basement with a low ceiling. Holographic security camera screens were projected along one entire wall while a dozen speakers were lined up along another wall. In the dead center of the room was a large table where Ozpin's oldest friend James Ironwood was bent over a bionic arm in progress of being made.

"Hello, James," Ozpin said. James looked up and pulled up the protective mask he had on.

"Ozpin, Glynda. This certainly is a pleasant surpise."

"Don't act surprised. You knew we were coming."

"Of course. I guess I meant to say that it's always a pleasant surprise to see Glynda," James commented, winking at Glynda. Glynda's face turned scarlet for a second before converting back to normal. She looked around at the tools and papers scattered across the table and the floor.

"I'm not fond of guys that don't clean up after themselves," she remarked.

"Say the word and I'll get cleaning," James replied.

"James," Ozpin interjected, "you said you wanted to make an offer."

"Yes. I was hoping that I can move my station here into your…happy place. Poma is becoming afraid that my robots will scare away her customers. On top of that, apparently I am making too much noise down here."

Ozpin and Glynda looked at each other.

"But there's something in it for _me _isn't there," Ozpin said not as a question.

"If you allow me to move my things into your fortress, I will allow you to teach me how I can be a huntsman," James finished. Glynda's eyes lit up and her shoulders rose.

"You mean you've finally decided to try?" She asked.

James grinned, showing his spotless teeth. "Of course my dear. I think it's worth a try. This city needs more protection, and that seems to be an alternative."

Ozpin chuckled. "Well you've certainly surprised me. I thought you'd never say yes."

"Well are we going to continue to stand here and talk about how much it surprises you, or are we going to go?" James asked. Right beside him, a tiny hologram of a young girl popped up from a transmitter.

"Will I get to go too?" She asked.

"Of course. I'm not going anywhere without you Darcy," James promised. He picked up the transmitter and slipped it into the front pocket of his white coat.**

*Theodora peppered dust on her fingers, feeling the tingling sensation as the dust touched skin. She then proceeded to sprinkle it on her entire hands until they glistened all over.

She was proud of her work. Ozpin and Glynda spent so much time together out, so this was her way of distracting herself from feeling jealous. The dust she used was like a powerful glitter.

When she finished coating her hands, she waved one of them in the air, feeling a vibration in her fingers as she made a mental command. Immediately, a flaming black dress appeared in midair and fell to the floor. She picked it up, awed by its beauty. She could almost see literal fire reflected in the dress.

Yes, she could've simply made Glynda a new shirt with her power, but she favored the idea of effort by going and spending money on it herself. She had dozens of her own dresses that she formed using dust. It had become a hobby. It was all in preparation for her to one day become a huntress, and follow in her mother's footsteps.

Huntsmen and huntresses were rare. Once there were many, but wars and violent conflicts had wiped out most of them, and a lot of the remaining ones had gone into hiding out of fear that they too will fall.

Theodora took up her mother's sword, which she had taken after her death. Her face reflected off of the blade.

"Hello," she said out loud to her reflection. She then went outside and traveled out far until she stopped in a large clearing. Several creatures of Grimm spotted her. Two Beowolves and an Ursa. They charged after her. Theodora flipped over one of the Beowolves, slicing her sword across its body. The Beowolf fell in two pieces. Theodora landed on her feet, twirled her blade, and stabbed it into the Ursa behind her without looking. The remaining Beowolf took several fearful steps back, then turned and began running. Theodora shut her eyes and focused on the idea of getting in front of the wolf. She opened her eyes, realizing she was now standing directly in front of the wolf. She had teleported. She stabbed her sword through the wolf's open mouth, and the tip protruded out from the back of its head.

Wolves that Theodora couldn't see howled. She felt more determined. More alive. One day she'll become a huntress, and no one will ever take that away from her.**


	2. Red Cabbage

*On the way into Port's Cabbage Shop, Ozpin spotted a short man, who wore a round fur hat, sitting on the sidewalk with a bucket next to him. Written on the bucket were the words 'I'll work for food'. For a second, Ozpin stopped and stared. The man's gaze was on the ground. A tear fell from one eye and hit the pavement.

A harsh pity gripped Oz's heart, and he stepped forward and dropped a coin in the bucket without a word. The man didn't even look up. When Ozpin walked into the shop, the man looked into the bucket at the coin and grinned with gratitude.**

*Port's Cabbage Shop had nothing particularly special. Nothing but cabbages lined the shelves. Some were organic and others were not, some were green and some were purple. One head of cabbage caught Ozpin's eye. It was a red one.

"Ah, a customer! How may I help you today?" A large hearty man asked at the counter. He had eyes that seemed to glow bright with anticipation, and he had a large round gray beard that seemed to jiggle every time he moved. Perplexed, Ozpin raised an eyebrow.

"I'm here to see your grandson Peter. Is he here?" He asked.

"Ah, of course! Peter is expecting you!"

"That was the idea, sir," Ozpin remarked.

"Hold on just one second, I'll go get him," Port said. He then disappeared behind a curtained doorway. Ozpin heard muttering for a moment before Port came back, this time with a young man that Ozpin couldn't help but admit looked rather dashing. He had a black moustache with the ends curled up and over. He looked as giddy as his grandfather.

"Ozpin, what a pleasant surprise."

"Peter, good to see you," Oz said, deciding not to mention that Peter had been expecting him.

"Let's go talk in the back room. There are some cabbages I'm chopping up for later," Peter said.

Ozpin questioned Port's own discretion as he watched Peter chop cabbage on a chopping block with an axe, in a large room behind the shop. Every time Oz opened his mouth to speak, Peter would bring the axe down again, splitting yet another cabbage cleanly in half.

"So, Peter…"

_Chop!_

"So this is what you…"

_Chop!_

"…Do?

…

_Chop!_

"Oh yes," Peter finally said, "my grandfather always likes to have his cabbage salad to go with his dinner, regardless of what the main course is."

"And I'm guessing you have your salad too," Ozpin said.

_Chop!_

"Of course. It is a tradition."

"Tradition?"

Peter sighed and finally set the axe down and faced Oz.

"In this city, you have to have your traditions like these to keep yourself optimistic."

"I think I might have a way of helping you," Ozpin said.

"Really? What's that?"

"I've been getting a few friends together to train at the abandoned fortress. I'm help them unlock their Aura and discover their Semblance."

"But if I'm not mistaken, even _you _don't know your own Semblance do you?" Peter asked.

Oz raised an eyebrow. "I never said that."

"Thank you for the offer, but my grandfather would want me to stay here. Besides, I have so many memories in here."

Oz looked around at the sliced cabbage scattered across the floor and stared up at the flickering light in the ceiling. A fly flew into the light and fell to the floor, its wings viciously twitching.

"You make it sound as though you had your first kiss here or something," he commented.

"With this?" Peter asked pointing to his moustache, "How could I have not?"

Oz chuckled. "Very well then. If you say so. But I'll be around if you change your mind. Just come to the fortress when you feel ready."**

*Theodora watched Ozpin leave the shop. Now it was her chance to go in. Waiting until after Oz was well out of eyesight, she slipped into Port's shop and walked up to the large, plump man at the counter.

"Welcome to Port's Cabbage Shop, how may I help you young lady?" The man asked. Theodora put one hand on her hip.

"I want to buy the red cabbage," she said, gesturing to the head of scarlet cabbage on the shelf to the right. The man raised an eyebrow.

"I'm afraid that it's only there for display. It's being reserved for someone else who has already payed for it," he admitted. Theodora put her hands on the counter and leaned forward so that her face was just inches from Port's.

"It's not his anymore. It's _mine!_" Theodora shrieked, her quickly turning sharp and loud. Port stepped back out of fear, adjusting the tie on his shirt.

"Now let's be reasonable dearie. I'm sure we can negotiate something…"

"There will be no negotiating," Theodora said. She then reached up, took the red cabbage, and began walking out.

"Now hold on just a minute! I will call the police on you for this!" Port yelled after her. Theodora stopped in her tracks and smiled.

"You won't. Because you won't remember who I am," she said. From her belt, she produced a small dagger that sparkled with mint-green dust and flung it at Port.**

*When Ozpin reached the large front doors of the fortress, he heard an anxious scuffling that forced him to turn around. There was nothing. A soft wind rustled Oz's silver hair.

"Hmm," he wondered aloud. He turned back around to the doors and pushed them open. Inside, in the large chamber that he and Glynda had become so fond of, James had his own lab set up on one side near the stage. Ozpin frowned when he saw James and Glynda engaged in a conversation that had Glynda laughing every ten seconds. He wasn't sure if he should feel happy for them or…

Another sound. Ozpin turned around.

Standing hunched over behind him was the short man he had seen right by Port's shop. He was clutching his bucket against his chest as if he was afraid Oz will take it from him.

"You followed me all the way here? I assume you sneaked onto my ship then," Oz said. The man nodded, acting embarrassed that he did.

"What's your name?"

"Jasper," the man whispered.

"And what is it that you want, Jasper?"

Jasper tilted the bucket forward, showing Oz the coin inside. "I guess…I guess…I just wanted—"

"To say 'thank you'?"

"Yeah. No one—no one has ever actually given me money before. I'm going to keep this coin to—to remember what you did."

Ozpin was moved by this, but also intrigued that Jasper would follow him all the way to the fortress just to tell him this. Surely there was something else.

Before Oz could say another word, his phone made a beeping sound that signaled an incoming call. Oz looked at the party avatar of Peter on it.

"Hello?"

"_Oz_, _come quickly! My grandfather was attacked and he can't remember who did this_," Peter's frantic voice replied. Oz's eyes narrowed.

"I'll be right there," he promised. He looked at Jasper, almost feeling sorry that he had to leave him.

"I have to go. I'll take you back to the city," he said.**

*Ozpin looked down at Peter's grandfather spread out on the gurney. He was in a deep sleep and his breathing was uneven. Peter stayed behind, his back against the wall and his arms folded.

"So you weren't there when it happened?" Ozpin asked.

"No. I was in the back room, I didn't know anything until I called for my grandfather. He didn't answer so I came to the front and saw him lying unconscious on the floor."

"And the doctors are saying that the dagger didn't cause any damage?"

"Yes. They detected a small amount of green dust particles that had been transported into his bloodstream. They recognized it as a memory loss agent. My grandfather had forgotten who attacked him."

"Was anything taken?" Oz started typing notes on his phone. Each letter he tapped made a clicking sound.

"Yes. A red cabbage."

Ozpin remembered it fondly. It was the only red cabbage on a shelf in the shop and was the last one on the far end too.

"What would anyone want to do with a red cabbage?"

"I don't know. It's not like it's any more or less tastier than the others. I don't understand," Peter said. Oz sighed and pressed the back of his hand to his aching forehead.

"I don't think any of us understand, but I'll figure this out," he said. Peter stepped up beside him.

"You mean _we _will figure this out."

"Don't you want to stay with your grandfather?"

"He'll live. I think he would want me to not worry about him," Peter said. Oz understood. Besides, maybe this investigation could possibly change Peter's mind about what he wanted to do.

Ozpin didn't consider himself as one to manipulate others, but he really wanted to try this time.**

*No matter how hard James tried to work, he couldn't stop looking up at Glynda as she read on the stage in the chamber. She was reading _The Third Crusade_, a classic that only had a few existing copies in the world. Very few bookstores carried it, even some of the biggest ones.

Glynda had her legs crossed and she squinted as she tried to read the words.

"Having trouble reading?" James finally asked. Glynda nodded.

"A little. My eyesight isn't the best."

"Have you thought of glasses?"

"Ha ha," Glynda mocked. "What a great idea." She finally closed the book and put it down on her lap.

"I'm just happy to have my own copy of this book. It's one of the greatest tales ever written, yet not a lot of people have gotten to read it."

"My father read it to me when I was younger. It used to be the story that I would beg him to read over and over again."

"I take it he grew sick and tired of it?"

"On the contrary, he couldn't get enough of it. What point have you gotten to?" James asked. Glynda picked up the book and flipped to the right page.

"When Aero's father gave him the coat of many colors. It's meant as a symbol for unity."

"Unity, yes. The call to unite all people, regardless of how different they are," James said.

Glynda looked down at the shirt she was wearing. It was the same one that her sister Theodora had given her. It was just one color.

"It's not that I want to represent unity by wearing a coat with many colors on it, but I want to represent unity _somehow_," she confessed. James seized the opportunity to walk over to Glynda's side and place a hand on her leg.

"Your determination to be a beacon to others is admirable, Glynda. Ozpin would be proud."

"Ozpin is more concerned about his own troubles. He gives very little thought to the discrimination that has run rampant in Vale."

"Have faith in him. I believe he knows what he's doing," James assured her.**

*Ozpin watched several Faunus' standing outside on the side of the road with picket signs all saying 'Equality for the Faunus!'. He wasn't sure how he felt about this. Was the discrimination really that bad? He knew that it was somehow difficult for humans to fully accept the Faunus race, but what was he supposed to do about it? He was trying to do something different. He was trying to resurrect the culture of huntsmen and huntresses, and he felt that trying to recruit Faunus's was a risky move. He would be hated by everyone else that hated the Faunus race.

"So where do you think we should go for some answers?" Peter asked next to him.

"Go for answers? Where are we supposed to go? That's a question that can't be answered just like that Peter. It requires some soul-searching first, some…"

"I meant how are going to figure out the mystery behind the missing cabbage."

"Oh. Right. Sorry. In that case, there may be one place to try. And I don't like the idea of seeing him again."**

* On the shadier side of Vale was a large night club. Stepping inside from the quiet dark outside slapped Oz hard in the face. He raised an eyebrow at the disco hovering on the ceiling over one of the largest dance floors he's ever seen. Multiple colors of red, white, black, and yellow danced around the floor. The music from the DJ was cranked up loud enough to make Oz's ears vibrate.

"_I may fall, but not like this, it won't be by your hand_…"

Standing at the counter adjusting his tie was Collus Torchwick. Oz felt it was too soon to see the scum again.

"What do you want? Answer me now, or I'll call my men to throw you out," Collus warned. Oz waved his hand in dismissal.

"So have them do it, after you answer my questions," he said.

Collus crossed his arms. "I'm listening."

"A red cabbage was taken from Port's Cabbage Shop. I want to know if you know anything about that."

"What would I want with a red cabbage?" Collus asked.

"Precisely. But knowing you, you would probably find _some _use with it," Oz replied. Collus slammed his fist down on the counter, spilling his strawberry sunrise.

"You don't know me kid, we met _once_."

"I know that you go into the forest and take crystals for your own use. What do you do? Put them in your drinks?"

"That's no concern of yours. Get out before I have your men take you."

Ozpin sighed. "Very well then." He turned around and looked up at the spinning disco.

"The colors from the disco seem to be a little heavy on the red don't you think?"

Without warning anyone, Oz took up his old plasma gun and fired a blast at the disco ball. The ball fell off the ceiling and hit the ground with a painful smashing noise that halted everything in the room. Among the broken pieces of the disco ball was a red cabbage.

"I know _nothing _about that, I swear!" Collus said, his face streaked with sweat. Oz twirled the gun in his hand and slipped it back into his holster.

"Right, so you're telling me that the red cabbage just magically transported itself into the disco ball," he said.

"Well that's a more logical theory than me taking it," Collus pointed out. Ozpin shook his head, irritated. He was beginning to lose his patience.

"So you're accusing _me_?" Collus yelled. Ozpin didn't answer. He didn't have to. Enraged, Collus picked up his spilled glass, tapping on the side of it twice to have it transform into a glass bat. He swung it and it smashed into Oz, sending him flying across the floor. Blood-red emergency lights had flickered on, allowing Oz to see everything in red which fit the pain he was in.

He sat up, dusting the glass off of him like it was nothing, but the pain was terrible. Several pieces of broken glass were embedded in his flesh.

He saw Peter take a small box out of his pocket, which then transformed into a trumpet. A plasma blast erupted from the mouth of it and smashed into Collus. Several of his bodyguards leaped after Peter with their own long red swords. Peter pressed a button on his trumpet for it to extend so that he had a better grip. He swung the trumpet in the face of one guard, sending it flying away and skidding across the ground. The other guard attempted to stab for Peter's neck, which he easily sidestepped. He blew the trumpet and another plasma blast exploded out and hit the guard at close range. The guard staggered backwards but kept his footing intact, intent on knocking Peter out.

Fear shot through Oz's spine as he felt himself get picked up by rough large arms from behind. Ozpin whirled around and kicked the attacker straight in the chest. The man barely moved. He was heavy-set, with thick, sleeveless arms that had buldging veins.

"Uh oh," Oz muttered. The man lashed out at Ozpin, swinging one giant arm at his head, which Oz ducked away from. He attempted to trip the man with both legs, but the man managed to leap over Oz's legs. He then grabbed Oz by the throat and thrusted his whole body across the dance floor. His head slammed into Peter's legs, launching Peter off his feet and sending him crashing down on top of Oz.

Determined not to be humiliated, Oz reached out and took the red cabbage that was sitting close by. The heavy-set man came after them to finish them off.

Ozpin threw the cabbage at his head. The attacker got stunned long enough for Oz to push Peter off of him, get up, and aim his plasma gun at him.

"Don't let him scare you! Finish him!" Collus screamed. The large bodyguard unsheathed his own red sword, leaped up, and attempted to swing the blade in a straight downward arc at Oz's head.

Before Oz could react, Peter got in front of him with his trumpet, and the scarlet blade clashed with the trumpet. The head of the trumpet turned so that the guard was staring into it.

_Bam!_

The guard was taken off his feet by the plasma blast and he collapsed onto his back. Ozpin got up and dusted himself off, grimacing as he did. He picked up the red cabbage.

"You're responsible for this. Tell us the truth," Oz demanded. His patience had run horribly thin. Why wouldn't the coward just confess what he had done? What would he want with the red cabbage?

"I swear on the life of my son Roman, I did _not _take the red cabbage. There's no reason why I would want it!" Collus screamed. Oz stepped back, gripping his plasma gun tighter just in case.

"I think he's telling the truth, Oz. I don't think we're going to be able to get anything out of him," Peter admitted. Oz's eyes narrowed. How could he trust Collus? Collus took dust and crystals from the forest for his own personal uses.

"You haven't seen the last of me," Ozpin finally said. He then turned and walked away. He hoped he would never have to go into the night club again.

"Oh, and I'm not paying for that disco ball," Oz commented before stepping out.**

*Ozpin watched Glynda read _The Third Crusade _back at the 'happy place'. James had left to get some much needed sleep back at his place in the basement of _The Witch's Apple_. After offering one more time to Peter to join him, Peter turned his offer down again. He wasn't at all ready to leave his grandfather.

Oz couldn't argue with him. He wasn't going to take him away from the only family he had left.

In the meantime, he and his own parents were as much family as Glynda was going to have.

An idea then came to Ozpin's mind.

"Glynda," he finally spoke. The young woman looked up from her book.

"Come here," he said. Glynda put down her book and came over to Oz, with eyes that might as well just be question marks on her face.

"Give me your hand," Oz offered, holding out his hand. Glynda stared at it like it was an animal she wasn't sure she wanted to pet. She finally took it.

"Now the other one," Oz continued, holding out his other hand.

"Ozpin?"

"It's okay, Glynda. These don't bite," Oz replied, winking. Glynda smirked and took hold of his other hand.

"The events today gave me an idea. I was at a night club on a dance floor," he said.

"Dancing?" Glynda asked.

"No. Fighting," Oz admitted. The sound of Glynda's laughter in response to his answer made Oz's heart soften a bit. Just a bit, but it was enough.

"If you think about it, dancing is not that different from fighting. Consider this a new training assignment. Would you like to dance, Glynda Goodwitch?" He asked.

"I would love to dance," Glynda replied, her voice barely above a whisper. They then began to sway back and forth, then move one foot in one direction together.

Step back, side-step, step forward, step back…

Oz loved every second of it.

"Just focus. Focus on your movement. Play it nice and smooth. Don't get nervous," Ozpin commented.

"I know," Glynda replied. The dance continued. It started out slow, then began to gradually grow faster and faster.**

*Underneath a spare disco ball Collus had for the night club, Theodora and Roman Torchwick danced.

"Rumors will spread. My dad's image will start to cripple," Roman said. Theodora chuckled.

"And you will eventually be rid of him."

"It just takes…"

"One small step at a time," Theodora and Roman both finished.**

**AN: There will be more of Jasper in future stories. He's very important for the story. Hope you guys are liking this so far!**


	3. Trust Me

**AN: I'm back with another story for the Team Ozpin series. I'm going to make a guess that this series will last at least thirteen stories. Hope you guys like this! Please give me feedback on what you think.**

*Baltimore Schnee was the manager of the Schnee Dust company, one of the largest dust manufacturers in the world of Remnant, and one of the most powerful men in Remnant as well.

Ozpin was a lucky man to visit him.

Baltimore sat at his desk with his fingers laced in front of him. Everywhere Oz looked, he saw himself staring back at him. That was because there were mirrors all over the walls. There were mirrors both big and small, mirrors that were round, rectangular, square, and some were even triangles. Behind Baltimore, on the glass wall that overlooked a large portion of Vale, was a picture of a large black and white snowflake.

"Ozpin is it?" Baltimore asked. He poured himself a mug full of tea and brought it to his lips.

Oz raised an eyebrow and the corner of his lips curved up.

"Yes, sir. I am here to offer you something. I know someone who would benefit from working for you."

"What is his name?" Baltimore asked.

"His name is Jasper. And if you accept him, I _will _pay you a very handsome sum of money to take him."**

Twenty-Four Hours Ago…

*Roman Torchwick was normally not used to having a beautiful woman sitting on the edge of his piano listening to him as he played. It was one of the few talents he had that his father actually appreciated, but having a woman like Theodora appreciate it as well added a special touch.

"You _do _play beautifully. I admire your precision," Theodora complimented. Roman cleared his throat to still his anxiety and continued to allow his fingers to move across the keys. He played to the tune of 'All Our Days', a song that was mostly taken up by piano.

The song also worked well to conjure up an emotional connection with him. His mother had actually sung the song to him when he was a small child.

_I will cling, I will clutch, I'll hold onto you, I won't turn away. I won't leave, I won't go, I will stay with you all our days_.

If only fate was so kind. His mother had been killed by a violent group of Faunus several years ago. To make matters worse, they had taken her body away. No one had been able to find it.

The memories stopped Roman's fingers. He took a deep breath and scratched his orange hair.

"What's wrong, Roman?" Theodora asked. Roman simply grunted and stood up. Theodora slid off the piano and went over to his side, slipping her arm between his own arm and his side.

"You're thinking of your mother again, aren't you?" She asked. Roman silently nodded.

"You know that it was more your father's fault than the Faunus," she pointed out. Roman clenched his fist so tight his knuckles turned snow white.

"They still played a part. My father didn't kill her, _they _did," he said.

"It'll all be fixed. You just have to listen to me," Theodora assured him. Roman grabbed Theodora's arm and yanked it away from him. He kept his grip on her.

"What exactly do you have to offer? You don't care about me. You care about that Ozpin fellow. The one you've had your eye on for a long time," he said. Theodora shut her eyes and slipped out of Roman's grasp.

"Have a little faith. I want you to trust me. Soon, your father will be dead. You will own the club and your father's wealth, and Vale will be freed from an enemy. In this matter, everyone except your father wins," Theodora said. Roman picked up the cane that was resting against the piano and twirled it in his hand. He smirked as he watched it move.

He whirled around and started to walk away.

"You can see yourself to the door deary. I have other matters to attend to."**

*Ozpin loved the library, probably more than was healthy to. Seeing other people read real books was a rare find these days, considering that a lot of people just read on electronic devices or from their computers.

Ozpin didn't. In fact, he would normally devour two to three books every week. His quest for knowledge almost never rested.

Glynda enjoyed reading fiction, but Oz read up on history. At the moment, he kept himself engrossed in a book about the largest war in the history of Remnant. A war that took place only sixty years ago. It was a terrible conflict that involved discrimination against free expression and individualism.

The war had gotten so violent, that it was one of the largest reasons why Vale was in the sort of state it was in now, as a city so deeply wounded and broken, that the idea of its recovery seemed almost impossible.

That was something that Oz wanted so badly to fix. But how was he going to do it?

His phone buzzed, yanking him out of his thoughts. He shook his head and picked it up, reading the text sent to him from James Ironwood.

_I need your help_.

_What is it?_

_There's something I want_. _Something that will help me with my project_.

_What project_?

_We'll discuss this somewhere else_. _Come with me_.

_Where are you_?

_Look up._

Oz looked up from his phone. James was sitting at a table across the room waving at him. Oz chuckled and pocketed his phone.**

*Oz and James walked side by side in the residential district. There, they would have less ears listening in on them.

"So what's this all about, James?" Oz asked.

"I heard that there is going to be a shipment full of equipment from the Schnee Dust Company on the docks tonight. There's something I want to get from it," James replied.

"What is it?"

"Most of the supplies are related to their robots. One of the things is a microchip that's technically a robot brain. I want to get one of those chips and use it for a project I'm working on."

"By saying 'to _get _one of those chips', you mean _steal _one of those chips," Oz said. James stuffed his hands in his pockets and vaguely nodded.

"This is Schnee Dust equipment. From what I've learned, they're not interested in sharing."

"We're not criminals James. Besides, stealing from the Schnee Dust company would likely lead to extreme consequences. Why would you want to take that risk?"

"Because I hate them. They deserve every bit of violence they have gotten from the small pockets of Faunus that have been rising against them."

"Are you sure they really deserve all that? They're not like Collus, James. They use dust for good."

"That's what they _want _you to think. Believe me, Oz, I know what I'm talking about. Please, just this once, help me take from them. If we're caught, I will make sure to take full responsibility for it."

Oz felt a headache begin to blossom. He wasn't sure to whom to trust in this matter. He wanted to believe James, but everything he had heard about the Schnee Dust company was admirable. They used dust to keep stretches of land healthy, in order to protect the environment. They kept the grass green, even if it meant having a little bit of industry involved. Sometimes, questionable things had to be done to make things better. Oz was beginning to see that more and more. If Collus had to die for instance in order for the crystals buried in Emerald Forest to stay protected, so be it. On the other hand, James did more research into the Schnee Dust company than Oz did. It was obvious he knew things that Oz did not. He decided to trust him on this one, at least for a while.

"Alright. I'll help you, but I'm only doing this once."

James grinned from ear to ear. "You won't be disappointed, Oz."**

*While waiting for the cover of nightfall, Oz and James took a detour to a small used goods store. Oz was especially intrigued when he saw James pick up a pair of small, rectangular glasses.

"No smudges, no scratches, no cracks. Looks as good as new," James commented.

"Not for yourself I presume?" Oz asked.

"No, not for me. If I tell you, would you promise not to tell Glynda?"

Oz raised an eyebrow in question but shrugged and nodded.

"I'm getting these for Glynda. I saw her squinting to read a book the other day. If she's not going to get glasses for herself, _I'll _get her a pair," James said.

"You really don't have to," Oz chuckled.

"But I want to, and I will," James declared. Oz didn't argue any further with him. He wasn't sure why he felt reluctant about it, he just…did. He thought about how he had danced with her just a few days ago. He remembered the look on her face. It looked so content. So at peace. She felt so safe being close to him. It was a bond they shared that was special.

He guessed that that was the reason for his slight jealousy at the thought of James doing something buying glasses for her. He wasn't sure how to take it. He began to wish that he had thought of the idea first.

The door to the store opened, ringing the bell that was directly above it. Oz looked to see Jasper standing in the doorway. His eyes darted left and right quicker than Oz could keep track of. When Jasper's gaze landed on Oz, a bright smile exploded across his face.

"It's you," he said. Oz fidgeted, unsure of what to do then.

"Hello Jasper. How are you?" He asked.

"I'm…I'm doing fine. Okay, I guess."

"Well it's certainly better than 'not' okay. Is there something you need?"

"I…I want to talk to you. Alone," Jasper admitted. Oz glanced over at James for approval.

"We still have about two hours left. Go on ahead," James said.

"Very well then. Come along Jasper," Oz said, walking to the door to follow Jasper out. Once they were outside, Jasper led him to an alley between buildings.

"I think I can trust you, you know, after what you did for me."

"It was a small thing. But trust me about what?" Oz asked. Jasper reached up to the round fur hat around his head and slowly took it off. Underneath his hat on his head were two little bear-like ears.

Oz bit his tongue to keep himself from gasping. Jasper was a Faunus? He had helped a Faunus?

Not that that was distasteful to him, but it was a surprise. He had helped a homeless Faunus, even though the action was very small in scale.

"Do you hate me now?" Jasper asked.

"No. I don't hate you. You turning out to be a Faunus does not change my opinion of you," Oz replied. Jasper let loose a small, grateful grin. Before he could put his hat back on, Oz reached out and took his hands.

"No. Leave it off. Don't be afraid to show the world who you are. Be strong, and live your life without others telling you what you can or cannot do."

"Thank you, sir," James said. A tear rose in his eye which he caught with his hand before it could fall to the ground.

"Perhaps we'll meet again. In the meantime, be careful out there," Oz said. He then made a small salute and began walking back to the store.

Ozpin felt proud of himself for the way he treated Jasper.**

*About two hours later, it was time to go to the docks. James had several spare uniforms that belonged to Schnee Dust Company workers, complete with fake employee IDs.

"We're both only nineteen, James," Oz pointed out.

"The Schnee Dust company hires…adolescents for work like unloading ships or flipping switches. They'll be fooled easily," James assured him.

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"Believe me Oz, I do."

Oz and James looked around at the docks where a large ship was about to land in the center. They joined up with several other employees waiting to unload the supplies. One of them was holding a checklist and he was older than the rest, with a piercing in his nose.

"You two are behind schedule," he grunted.

"We apologize. Several Faunus were giving us a hard time," James explained. The older employee shook his head in annoyance.

"Don't try to explain yourself out of it, just get in line with everyone else," he said.

"Yes, sir," James replied. Without further argument, James and Oz joined the other employees, all of which looked miserable to be there.

"So tell me again why Mr. Schnee is having more means for tighter security sent here," one of the employees asked another. The other employee shifted uncomfortably, not really wanting to talk in the first place.

"There have been confirmed reports of small groups of Faunus hijacking shipments and stealing supplies. They're growing more dangerous."

"As if the war didn't teach both sides how deadly that can be for the people around them," the first employee mumbled. The ship's hatch finally opened up, making itself as a ramp for the crew to come down. Some came with crates on hoverpads to unload the ship.

"A few of the smaller boxes will be taken to a storage facility in the industrial district, we'll have the larger ones left here to unpackage later," the ship's pilot declared. The smaller crates began to get passed down for employees to carry away. James managed to take one with a mischievous grin on his face. Oz placed a hand on his shoulder as he passed by.

"One last chance to rethink this," he whispered. James stared at him long and hard, his eyes had become impossible to read. All Ozpin knew was that his friend had become almost madly driven to do what he wanted to do.

"All I need is one chip," he whispered back. After that, Oz shoved James away, hard enough to take him off his feet. James dropped the crate and it broke open, spilling its contents all over the place. Chips of many different kinds were scattered everywhere.

"Hey! What's going on?" The older employee demanded, pushing his way through the others to get to Oz and James.

"He pushed me! He made me drop the crate and spill everything!" James yelled.

"What are you trying to do?" The employee said, stepping closer to Oz.

"I got angry at him and I pushed him. There's no problem with that is there?" Oz asked.

"Problem? No, no problem. Except for the fact that you _spilled all of that equipment on the ground because of what you did!_" The employee screamed.

"It seems I'm about to lose my position then," Oz said. James got up beside him and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"I've had enough of this. I'm done. You can tell Mr. Schnee that I will no longer work for him," he said.

"And I think I will step down too. The boss would fire me anyway," Oz admitted. They both turned and walked away, leaving the confused employees behind.

"This isn't over! Mr. Schnee will have you pay him back! I swear it," he claimed. Oz and James grinned but didn't answer.**

*Back on the streets of Vale, Oz walked James back to _The Witch's Apple_.

"I must confess that was a little amusing," Oz said. James smirked.

"I told you you can trust me. I'm doing the right thing. It's for the safety of Vale."

"What exactly are you trying to do, may I ask?"

James reached into his pocket and pulled out the microchip he had slipped into it while no one was looking. "This is the first step in creating the first synthetic person capable of generating an Aura."

Ozpin's mind was blown. He wondered if it had been literally, because his ability to think was completely gone. A _synthetic _person generating an Aura. It was unheard of. It didn't sound possible at all. At the same time though, Oz had very little knowledge in the science behind technology, but he knew that James practically bathed himself in it every day. Maybe he was truly onto something. And yet…

"Well, if it doesn't work out, then your robbery tonight was a waste of time, and morality," Oz said.

James only smiled and examined the chip more. "It's so small, yet can do so much. You know how they say something good can be worth every penny?" He asked.

"Yes."

"I think I'll give this chip a name. I'm calling it Penny. I'm calling this Project Penny," he said. The two of them couldn't help but laugh. It was an amusing and fun night for Oz. Now, he had something in mind. He wondered how Jasper would feel if he got him a job in the Schnee Dust company.**

*Early the next morning, James came to the 'happy place', holding the glasses he had bought for Glynda. Glynda was finishing reading the last few sentences of _Third Crusade_.

"Glynda, come here," James said. Glynda came over to Oz with eyes already glowing beautifully when they gazed at the glasses.

"I have something for you," James said. He slipped the glasses on Glynda's face himself, smiling as if he had created something new that looked gorgeous.

"Now, how do you see?"

"James, I didn't realize until now how handsome a man you are," Glynda commented. Heat blew through James's face and his ears turned red. He wrapped his arms around Glynda and drew her close, feeling so lucky to be with a woman like her. He never wanted the moment to end.**

*"A job? For _me_?" Jasper asked. Oz couldn't possible contain his delight for the young Faunus. Things were going to get better for him, and he was more than happy to contribute to that.

"Go now. Make some people proud," he said, nudging Jasper to get on the ship, which would take him to Baltimore's palace in Atlas.

"Thank you, Mr. Ozpin," Jasper said.

"Don't thank me, now go."

Oz watched Jasper board the ship and stayed until it flew out of eyesight, leaving him to wonder why he had been called into the Emerald Forest by his father.

He and his father haven't spoken a word to each other in eight months.**


	4. Daddy Issues

**AN: Sorry this took so long. I was finishing my other series _The Silvan Elf_, which I recommend you ****check out if you haven't already. Hopefully the wait was well worth it!**

*Ozpin didn't want to meet with his father. His father had been kind enough to welcome Glynda and Theodora into their home, but he didn't really do anything to take care of them. Oz had to do that. He didn't mind having to, in fact for him it was his pleasure, but he disliked his father for neglecting their need for care in the first place.

Oz found his father exactly where he expected him to. In Collus' night club. Oz figured he wasn't welcome there anymore after the incident with the red cabbage, but his father wasn't willing to meet him anywhere else.

Ozpin entered the night club and found his father sitting at the counter. A nervous thin man was wiping a glass with a rag behind the counter, constantly eyeing Oz's father as if he was about to erupt. Oz couldn't blame him.

"I suggest you make this quick," Oz said, sitting down next to his father. He waved away the bartender when he started to approach him.

"You should drink. That's what people come here for," Oz's father pointed out.

"And be like you? I'm not interested in the 'like father, like son' concept. In our case, it's not appealing to me."

"You think you gain something by talking to me like that? I'm your father."

"A father works to support his family and raise his kids, including ones that he adopts and takes in," Oz snapped. Oz's father slammed his glass down on the counter. A cracked suddenly formed on the side.

"Well this reunion has certainly been a blast so far," he remarked.

"Is that why you called me here? Just to have a father-son chat?" Oz asked.

"I thought maybe we could have another chance, but I thought wrong apparently."

"Yes. You did. Will that be all, Haman?" Oz asked. His father looked at him with flames in his eyes. Oz had referred to him by his real name instead of 'father'.

"For now. Don't think we're done," he said, jabbing a beefy finger in Oz's throat.

"I dream for the day we'll be every night," Oz replied. With that, he turned around and walked away. Tears threatened to escape Oz's eyes. He forced them back. He didn't want Glynda to see him in such a mess. She was waiting for him at the door. He couldn't bear the idea of coming by himself. It made him feel guilty in a way, because he was treating her almost like a comfort object to cling to whenever he was stressed, but he was grateful for the fact that Glynda was always willing to accompany him somewhere if he wanted her to.

She stared on at him with concern etched in her eyes behind the glasses that James had bought for her. Oz couldn't help but think that she looked even more beautiful with them.

"Come on, we're leaving," Oz said.

"Where are we going now?" Glynda asked, pushing her further up the bridge of her nose.

"For a walk in the woods."

Ozpin didn't have time to try to revive a relationship gone broken. His mind was now firing on all cylinders. The idea to create an academy was beginning to come together in his head. It would take a while to reach that point, but once he gets enough people together to start, things would pick up the pace from there.**

*_Ozpin found himself kneeling in a bed of red roses_. _The sky was completely overcast above him and snow drifted down, sprinkling the roses with a white frost_. _Oz realized he was kneeling in front of a tomb_. _He squinted to try and read the name on it_. _No matter how hard he tried though, he couldn't read it_. _There was more writing right underneath the name though, which he was able to somehow read_.

_Red like roses fills my dreams and brings me to the place you rest_.

_Oz couldn't understand. He felt something wet on his hand. He looked down to see the back of his hand brushing up against a rose. A crimson stain glistened on his hand_. _What was this? Oz wiped up part of the stain with two fingers and looked closer_. _It was blood_.

_Red like roses fills my dreams and brings me to the place you rest_.

_Who was in the tomb? The riddle on the tomb made sense to him_. '_Red like roses fills my dreams' made sense because he was kneeling in a bed of bloody roses in his dream_. _'To the place you rest' made sense because there was a tomb that was obviously someone's resting place before him_. _Who was in the tomb?_

Oz was startled awake when someone shook his shoulders.

"Ozpin," Glynda's voice said. Oz felt Glynda's soft hands on his shoulders. He looked up to see the young woman looking down at him with concern. Oz sighed and rubbed his eyes. Despite his young age, he can feel a serious ache in his back as he struggled to stand up.

"Are you okay?" Glynda asked.

"Yes, don't worry about me," Oz replied. His feet stumbled a little bit and he raised his hand to steady himself against the tree he had been resting his head against.

Glynda laughed. "Maybe it's about time you started using a cane."

"How old am I again?" Oz teased. The sky was beginning to darken and the last rays of the sun were slowly vanishing. Oz and Glynda knew they had to get home before the Grimm presence became too strong. Oz wondered if his father would be home by then.

Just then, Oz heard a twig snap. He stiffened and his hand moved to his weapon on his belt. Glynda stopped behind him.

"Stay behind me," Oz whispered. Then in the dead silence of the nearing night, there was a sudden rush of wind that yanked Oz off of his feet and tossed him forward. Oz fell face-forward. He lifted his face out of the ground, spitting dirt. He scrambled back up onto his feet and gasped to see someone standing near Glynda, who could only stare on in bewilderment at the stranger.

The stranger was a tall thin man wearing a scavenger's hat. He had large round glasses that were thick enough that you couldn't really see his eyes, and he had grass-green hair that stuck up everywhere. He wore a traveler's cloak and held a cup in one hand. He took a quick sip from it.

"Who are you?" Oz demanded, his hand now fingering his gun.

"More importantly I want to know, who's this lovely lady walking through the woods at a preposterous time like this?" The man asked. He spoke so fast that Oz had a difficult time catching up.

"Excuse me?" Oz and Glynda asked in unison.

"Ah well, it was worth trying to ask. I can honestly care less, I should be minding my own business," the man said.

"Yes, you should be. I've never seen you here before. What's your name?" Oz asked.

"Oobleck. Or as I like to refer to myself, _Doctor _Oobleck."

"Doctor Oobleck?" Oz asked.

"Correct! How may I be of service to you?" Oobleck asked.

"For one, stop eyeing Glynda. Two, I want to know what you're doing out here. No one but us two usually dare explore the Emerald Forest," Oz said.

"Ah yes, I'm here studying the creatures of Grimm themselves," Oobleck replied.

Oz raised an eyebrow. "_Studying _them?"

"The more we study of them, the more we can know how to defeat them, but they're much more than the creatures of evil that most view them as, yes! They are much more!" Oobleck informed.

Oz had no words for Oobleck. He seemed like a nice enough man, but he also seemed somewhat misguided and a little hyperactive.

"Forgive me if I seem pessimistic, but the creatures of Grimm are not animals to study. We kill them," Oz said.

"Oh I believe you good sir but in order to destroy the enemy one must first _study _the enemy."

Oz opened his mouth to speak again, but Oobleck zipped away from him and stopped in front of a tree, he seemed to be counting marks on it. He pulled out a small notepad and flipped it open. Oz can hear the odd man mumbling to himself as he took notes.

"What are you looking at?" Oz asked.

"You see? You see these?" Oobleck yelled, pointing to deep scratch marks along the trunk of the tree. Oz stepped forward and squinted. The scratch marks looked like they belonged to an Ursa.

"These marks are fresh. Why, I believe these marks were left here a total of five minutes ago," Oobleck explained.

"That's not possible, Glynda and I would have heard it," Oz said. He and Glynda had just been a few feet away from an Ursa without knowing it?

"Grimm tend to get quieter when the night falls. It's their way of keeping themselves hidden to avoid any unpleasantries with others," Oobleck said.

"_Avoid _unpleasantries? Oobleck, the creatures of Grimm…"

"That's _Doctor _Oobleck."

"Doctor Oobleck, the creatures of Grimm do not intentionally try to avoid run-ins with humans. As a matter of fact, they would love nothing more than to tear us to pieces," Ozpin said.

"Do you really believe that? What if they are just being territorial around here, and we are trespassing on their own territory?" Oobleck pointed out. Oz didn't know what to say about that. He had to admit that he didn't know very much about the creatures, only that they were monsters that tore people apart if they ever saw them without hesitation. They were animals. They were the only creatures in the world that didn't each have their own Aura. They didn't have souls.

Speak of the devil, Oz thought when he heard a loud growl behind him. He saw Glynda flinch and take a step back, nervously staring at whatever was about to come up behind Oz. Oz brought his hand to his gun and whirled around to face the Ursa that was crashing through the trees on all fours. At the sight of him, the Ursa roared. Oz tensed for several seconds, relaxed and then fired several shots at the Ursa straight in the chest. Oz flipped a switch with his thumb on the gun and fired a small blade that embedded itself in the Ursa's throat. With a wet groan, the Ursa fell forward with a loud crash that threw stripped grass up in the air.

Oz looked back at Oobleck, who was furiously taking notes. He finished and slipped the notepad back in his pocket.

"In order to destroy the enemy, one must _study _the enemy," Oobleck said again. Oz found himself intrigued with this thin man. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing even though he didn't look like he played the part of a fighter.

"Do you fight at all?" Oz asked. Oobleck pulled off the backpack he was wearing, unzipped it, and pulled out a tall cup. He sipped from it and then pressed a button on the side of it. It turned out to be a Thermos, which transformed into what looked like some kind of torch. Oz heard Glynda whistle.

"You made your own weapon," she said. Oz too was impressed. Oobleck was a strange fellow but a smart one too. He realized Oobleck couldn't be underestimated.

"What if I told you that I'm trying to get a team together. Would you be interested?" Ozpin asked.**

*When Ozpin and Glynda returned home, Theodora was waiting for them. She was wearing a glamorous red dress that seemed to sparkle. It took several seconds for Oz to realize that the "sparkle effect" in the dress was because Dust had been sown into it.

"Ozpin, where have you been?" Theodora asked.

"Out and about, Theodora. It's nothing to be concerned about," Oz assured her. He tried to keep his gaze away from her as much as possible. He didn't know why he felt like he had to be so cautious around her. The truth is, he didn't want to slide too close to Theodora. He felt like he would be abandoning Glynda if he did, and he couldn't help but admit that Theodora was more beautiful than Glynda. Was he trying to keep his gaze away because he was afraid of what Glynda would think? Sometimes he didn't understand the way his own mind worked.

"You've been out all day. Please, have a seat and I'll make you a cup of tea," Theodora offered. Oz mentally confessed that a cup of tea sounded perfect. The whole day had been a mixed bag. He had a heated confrontation with his father, but on the other hand, he found someone that was interested in joining him, Glynda, and James.

"A cup of tea sounds perfect. Thank you," Oz said, sitting down on the small couch that was set up in the living room. Glenda passed by him.

"I'm going to bed," she announced. Oz felt a little uncomfortable at the idea of Glynda leaving him with her sister, but decided to brave it for now. Theodora bustled into the kitchen to get prepare the tea. She came back with a cup a couple minutes later. Steam bellowed from it.

"Here," she said, holding it out. Oz looked up at Theodora's face to smile as he took the cup with one hand. He brought the cup to his lips and took a sip, making a satisfactory noise.

"So, how was your day?" Theodora asked. She sat down next to Oz. Oz was too into his tea to feel uncomfortable anymore.

"Alright I guess."

"Anything interesting happen?"

Oz eyed her with a smirk. "You are one very curious lady aren't you?"

"I just care about you, that's all," Theodora said as if it wasn't a very big deal. Oz sighed and swirled his tea around by moving his cup.

"I had an unpleasant confrontation with my father," Oz said. He rarely told Theodora about his personal issues. He felt like it was something reserved for only Glynda to hear, partially because she was always the one that Oz had around him the most.

"Was he at the club again?" Theodora asked.

Ozpin nodded. "I guess he wanted me to have a bonding moment or something, but he was crazy. I can never get along with him, because he'll never get along with _me._"

"It must be hard," Theodora replied.

Oz set the cup down on the table in front of him. "He wasn't the one that took care of Glynda, or raised her, _I _was. He did _nothing._"

Theodora took Oz's chin with her hand and positioned it so that Oz was looking straight into her eyes. "You're a good person, Ozpin. You've done an amazing job taking care of Glynda, taking care of _me_. Don't forget that we both appreciate you even if your father does not."

Ozpin nodded after several seconds. "Thank you Theodora."

"No. Thank _you_," Theodora replied. She then proceeded to kiss Oz on the cheek. She stood up and left Oz to feel the place where she kissed him.**

*"You've finally managed to get into his head," the man Theodora came to report to said. Theodora pursed her lips in thought. They burned from touching Oz's skin.

"It takes one small step at a time," Theodora said, saying the exact words she and Roman said together not too long ago.

"Keep doing what you're doing, but nothing too hasty. We've been doing things too slowly over time to mess this up," the man warned.

"I agree," Theodora replied.

"Killing Collus couldn't just be done suddenly in one night, you understand that right?" The man asked. Theodora nodded.

"Of course, you explained everything."

"Just making sure. I know that you don't want Ozpin to turn against you."

"That is correct, sir."

"Then keep doing what you're doing, and you will have Collus dead and more," the man promised.

"Yes, sir."**

*Ozpin sat in a coffee shop in downtown Vale with James, who had the blueprints of his robot out on the table. The first synthetic being capable of generating an Aura. Or as James liked to call it, Penny.

"I've been doing some thinking," James said when he finally stopped studying the outline.

"Hmm?" Oz asked, looking up from his cup of coffee. With Oobleck now part of the team that Oz was trying to put together, he was trying to figure out what he wanted to do. He wanted Huntsmen and Huntresses, or potential people that can become those things. Then what? He had an entire building up in the mountains all to himself.

"I was thinking that I might travel to the kingdom of Atlas and set up a facility there in order to have more room for my projects," James said. That got Oz's full attention.

"Atlas? The Schnee Dust company headquarters is located there," he pointed out.

"Precisely," James replied with a winning smile. Oz was almost jealous James had that kind of smile.

"You said that you didn't like the Schnee Dust company," Oz said.

"I didn't say I don't like them, I said that I don't always trust them, but I know what they have, and they can help achieve what I want to create," James explained.

"Penny?"

"Not just that, but an entire military force. I can create an army that can serve as a powerful force against any forces that conspire against any kingdom around the world," James said. He had a passionate light in his eyes that took Ozpin aback a bit. Never once until now has he seen James look that way.

"That's very ambitious of you to think of, but there's a catch isn't there?" Oz asked. James's expression changed. He looked dead serious now.

"Yes, I'm going to ask Glynda if she would like to come with me," he said. Oz sat back and folded his hands across his lap. It was the position he made when he was thinking hard. He hated to admit that he felt like Glynda was his to decide where she should or should not go, but how can he blame himself? Taking care of Glynda was something that was near and dear to his heart and something he has done for years. Seeing her go would be the hardest thing he's ever done. It was also his idea for her to be with him when he gets the new academy established.

"Find someone else," Oz finally answered.

James frowned. "Excuse me?"

"You can't take her. She's with me," Oz insisted.

"What about how she may feel? What if _she _would like to go?" James asked.

"It doesn't matter because you're not asking her."

James stood up and began rolling his blueprints up.

"I thought that maybe you would be reasonable, but I guess I thought wrong," he said.

"Yes. You did," Oz replied. He felt like he had just said those words to someone else not too long ago.

"Goodbye, Ozpin," James said. Oz didn't answer. He didn't watch James walk out the door. He didn't see Jasper walking past him into the shop. He wasn't wearing his cap like he used to. He walked up to the front counter.

"We don't serve your kind here, pal," the man at the counter exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" Jasper asked.

"You're a Faunus. We don't serve your kind," the man pointed out. Ozpin looked up to see what was going on.

"This is an outrage, sir. I work for the Schnee Dust company, surely I have some benefits," Jasper said.

"I don't care if you work for the city council itself. Get out of my shop," the man replied, pointing a long finger at the door.

"Please, sir, please—" James turned and spotted Oz, who stared back at him with a blank expression.

"Ozpin, my dear friend, please help me," he said. The man behind the counter looked at Oz.

"You know this guy?" He asked. Oz looked between the man and Jasper for several seconds then shook his head.

"No. I don't know him," he said. If he was to eventually be a headmaster for an academy like he was thinking about doing, he knew he had to keep his reputation looking good, which included not being a friend of a Faunus, not because he disliked the Faunus' but because others would dislike him for liking them.

Pain marred Jasper's emotion. "But—you—."

"Someone get him out," the man ordered. Two security guards came up to Jasper, grabbed him, and started dragging him out of the shop. Everyone else inside the shop watched Jasper with disgust.

Ozpin turned away and took another sip of his coffee. Now it was time to get to business. It was time to start building an academy.**


	5. Semblance

**AN: Hello again! Here is the newest story in the Team Ozpin series. This one is more focused on Glynda to give her some proper character development and to flesh her out a bit more. The next story is when things will really begin to pick up and it won't be smooth sailing for these characters starting then. Read on and find out!**

Three Years Ago…

*Glynda covered her eyes so that she couldn't see, but she didn't have two extra hands to drown out the terrible, nauseating noise. Her parents were being ripped apart by creatures of Grimm, and her sister Theodora was clinging tightly to her watching the whole thing unfold.

"Don't look Glynda, just keep your eyes covered," she cried out. Glynda did what she was told, though she was tempted to take a peek. The agonizing screams of her parents had been cut out of the rotting air instantly after just a few seconds, replaced by just the sounds of tearing flesh.

"Run with me Glynda, run!" Theodora urged, turning Glynda around and pushing her along. Glynda tried to keep her feet going as fast as she could but at the pace that Theodora was going, her bare feet ended up getting dragged from time to time. Needles of pain pierced through her feet at every drag. She grunted and wept, trying desperately to shake away the visuals in her head of her parents being torn apart.

"They're coming! Hurry!" Theodora shouted. Glynda felt her heart hammering out of her chest so hard it hurt and her hands trembled in terror. She could hear the howls of Beowolves close behind them. They really were coming in close.

Just then, Glynda heard a plasma bolt being fired, and a Beowolf yelped in pain. Glynda heard a body crash to the ground.

"Theodora, what's going on?" Glynda cried out.

"It's alright Glynda, you're safe now just keep holding onto me," Theodora replied. Glynda obeyed, clinging to Theodora as if she was her lifeline and letting go meant severing that line. There were more shouts and noises of gunfire and Beowolves howling. Finally, the noise died out and everything was still.

"It's okay now Glynda, uncover your eyes," Theodora whispered. Glynda uncovered her eyes and saw a young man coming towards her. Despite his young age, he had graying hair. He wore a green scarf around his neck with a little cross pinned to the front.

"Are you alright?" The young man asked. He held his hand out for Glynda to take. She took it. It felt warm and comforting. The warmth of his hand spread to her own hand and through her arm.

"She'll be fine. How can we ever repay you for saving our lives?" Theodora asked. The young man smirked.

"You don't have to repay me at all. Where are your parents?" He asked. Glynda's gaze fell, remembering the horrible fate of her parents. They were gone. There was nothing she can do about it now.

"They're gone. Creatures of Grimm got them," Theodora said. The young man frowned and cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry. Come with me back to my home, my parents can decide what to do with you," he said.

"You don't have to do that," Theodora replied. The young man smiled.

"Oh but I do. How else are you two going to survive?"

Theodora made it clear in her expression that she knew the young man made a good point. Where else were they supposed to go now? Without the proper resources to take care of themselves, they wouldn't survive for long.

"Can you at least tell me your name?" Glynda finally asked.

The young man looked down at her. "My name is Ozpin, and you are…?"

"Glynda," Glynda replied.

"Follow me, both of you," Ozpin said. When he turned to start heading back to his home, Theodora turned Glynda around so that she was facing her.

"I think we can trust this man, but whatever happens, stay with me okay?" She asked.

"Of course," Glynda replied.

"And why am I telling you this?" Theodora asked.

"Because we're sisters."

"And sisters…"

"Stay together," Glynda finished. It was a line that their parents had taught them to use if they ever ended up alone together without them. Theodora smiled in satisfaction.

"That's right. Now let's go."**

Present Day…

*Glynda opened her eyes to see Ozpin staring down at her. She blinked several times, testing if it was just an aftereffect from waking up from a dream. The image of Oz didn't go away.

"What? Is everything alright?" Glynda asked.

"Um," Oz stammered, "wanna go to the happy place?"

Glynda blinked again. "I thought _I _was normally the one that made that call."

Oz half-smiled. "I guess I'm changing the rules tonight."

Glynda chuckled and kicked the covers off of her. She normally kept the covers far over her while Oz kept them completely off of him. Oz's feelings of security were so easy going he didn't even consider having any blankets over him in bed.

"Why tonight?" Glynda asked.

"I can't sleep. Besides, I think tonight is an excellent opportunity for you to finally discover your Semblance," Oz replied with a winning grin at the end.**

*When Glynda and Oz got to the abandoned temple, Glynda noticed that James's stuff was no longer there in the main auditorium.

"Where's James's equipment?" She asked. She noticed Oz's expression darken.

"He's moving to Atlas soon to continue his work there," he said. Glynda felt her heart droop and her hand reached up and adjusted the glasses James had given her.

"What? He never told me this," she said.

"He probably didn't want to upset you," Oz replied with a dismissing shrug. Glynda decided she would talk to James later. Right now, she was on her way to discovering her Semblance.

"Its been a little while now and I still haven't found it, what makes you think I'll discover it tonight?" She asked.

"I just have a good feeling. It's hard for me to explain," Oz replied.

"Do you know something that I don't?" Glynda asked.

"I really don't Glynda, I'm just being optimistic," Ozpin admitted. Glynda appreciated Oz's enthusiasm. She wanted him to be confident in her and have faith in her. That was how she was going to get through these training sessions with faith. To her, if Oz couldn't believe in her, then neither could she.

"Do you remember what I told you the first night I taught you about Semblance?" Ozpin asked. Glynda thought back to that time, which wasn't very long ago.

"You told me it was a way to project my Aura in a more tangible form. It's an ability I have that almost personifies my Aura in a manner of speaking," Glynda said. Oz nodded with a smile.

"That's right. By training you in combat and using your Aura in battle, it's bringing you closer to discovering your Semblance. I have a feeling that you are going to use your Semblance without even knowing it at first," he said.

Glynda felt a bubbling sense of excitement rise up through her throat. Ozpin sounded genuinely confident that she was going to discover her Semblance tonight.

"Now, I think I know what you have to do. You've danced with me before, now fight me," Oz challenged, moving his foot across the ground to transition his posture into a defensive pose.

"You—you want me to fight you?" Glynda asked.

"You're making your first move, Glynda Goodwitch," Oz replied with a wide grin. Glynda flinched and set herself up into a pose of her own, with one foot behind the other and both of her fists raised in a defensive stance.

Glynda decided it was pointless to give Ozpin any heads-up. This was her moment to bring out her Semblance and impress Oz. With one last breath, she bolted after Ozpin and went for a side kick at Oz's face. Oz had both arms raised up to block her move. He grinned again. Not wanting to be ridiculed, Glynda dropped her leg and went for a spin kick when Ozpin let his arms down. Her foot crashed into Oz's throat and he stumbled backwards but made sure to quickly regain his balance. Glynda didn't waste a second to let Oz catch his breath. He would've wanted her to keep pushing. She ran after Ozpin and threw several punches, aiming for his torso, his shoulder, and his neck. Oz dodged them all, sometimes using his hands to push her fists aside and sometimes jolting his head back to avoid a punch in the nose. He was trying hard not to laugh the entire time, but Glynda noticed and it drove her harder and harder to keep trying to land another hit. Finally, Glynda threw another punch and Oz grabbed Glynda's wrist. Glynda gasped and tried to yank herself out of Oz's grip, but he managed to pull her along in a circle, let go of her, then leap and kick her in the head, knocking her off her feet. Glynda felt a bolt of pain rattle through her head, but it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would.

Glynda sat up and looked down at her arms. White light radiated through them, almost to the point of being blinding.

"Not as pleasant as dancing now is it?" Oz teased. Glynda smiled and pressed her hands together.

"I prefer dancing, yes," she replied. She could feel Oz's smile without even having to look at him behind her. She leaped up and whirled around, aiming three kicks at Ozpin's stomach, the third of which made its mark when Oz's arms got worn down from the first two kicks. Oz attempted to get closer to Glynda, but Glynda raised her hand and a purple circle of energy erupted from her palm. Oz bashed into it and was propelled backwards across the stage with a yelp.

Glynda watched in shock when Oz was tossed away like a discarded towel. She looked at her hand, turning it so that she can examine the back as well. Oz struggled to get back onto his feet. He looked at Glynda with something shiny in his eyes.

"I didn't tell you to stop," Oz said. Without any thought first, Glynda raised her hand again, and with her mind she summoned Ozpin's body to get thrusted towards her. Oz had no choice but to submit. His body was flung forward by an unseen force until he was hovering in front of Glynda at her mercy. With a fierce smile that even made Oz flinch, Glynda allowed Oz to fall into her grip so that her face was just several inches from his. She then turned completely in a one-eighty and slammed Ozpin into the ground, cracking the floor beneath him.

After a couple seconds, Ozpin got up and dusted himself off, wiping his legs and his shoulders as if what just happened was just a minor inconvenience.

"Sorry," Glynda said with an embarrassed grin. Oz smiled in return and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Well done, Glynda. I think you may have discovered your Semblance," he said. Glynda looked down at her hands, feeling excitement rushing up and down her throat like a running motor.

"Telekinesis," she said.

"Yes," Oz replied.

"You never told me what _your _Semblance is Ozpin," Glynda pointed out. Before Ozpin could respond, they both heard someone clapping from the other side of the room. They looked to see Theodora standing at the large doorway into the room.

"Well done sister! Well done!" Theodora shouted. Out of the corner of her eye, Glynda noticed Oz's face redden a little, not from anger, but from shyness.

"I saw everything. It was amazing!" Theodora ranted as she crossed the room. She climbed up onto the stage and bumped Ozpin aside to hug Glynda.

"I'm so proud of you, Glynda!" Theodora glowed. Glynda felt pride snag her and cling on. She did it. She now knew what she was capable of.

It had to be one of the happiest moments of her life. The only thing that was missing in this moment was James.**

*Early the next morning, Glynda found James loading up a ship with crates full of his own supplies.

"You're leaving?" Glynda asked. James stopped walking up the landing ramp and turned to look at her. His eyes were riddled with grief.

"It's for the best my dear. I'm so sorry," he said. Glynda could tell that he wanted to end the conversation right then and there, but Glynda wasn't done. She ran up the ramp and stopped him with her hand on his shoulder.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked.

"I'm moving to Atlas to set up shop there. Atlas has the resources I need in order to build an army. I can build an army that can be used to protect the rest of the kingdoms from invasion by evil forces," James explained.

"Military bravado? I thought you wanted to be a huntsman," Glynda pointed out.

"I do. And I promise I will become one, but my place isn't here," James replied. He looked down and shut his eyes. More pain eased into his facial features, making him look more like a young man quickly turning into an old one.

"Listen, I was going to ask you if you would like to come along, but Ozpin made it very clear he didn't want me to," he said. Glynda's hand slid off of James's shoulder as she heard this.

"What? Why would Ozpin not allow it?"

"He's attached to you Glynda. He can't bear the thought of letting you go."

"He's not my father. He has no authority over me," Glynda said.

"But who else do you consider to be your authority figure then?"

Glynda didn't even have to think about it. She already knew that there was no other. Ozpin _did _have authority over her, because she allowed that to happen. She did whatever he told her to do. But at the same time, even though that was so, Glynda knew Ozpin always made sure to do what was best for her, and of course there was the fact that he had helped her discover her Semblance.

"I discovered my Semblance last night," Glynda said instead of answering the question. James raised an eyebrow and a half-smile broke out.

"Really? Well done, Glynda. I knew you could do it," he said.

"I knew you had faith in me," Glynda commented. There was a short pause, followed by a huge sigh from James.

"You're staying here then," he said, not even having to ask. Glynda gravely nodded.

"Yes. I'm needed here. If you feel you have to go, then go, but I would love it if you stayed," Glynda said. James reached out and took Glynda's hand. Even with the gloves on, they felt warm and sent a tingling feeling through Glynda's chest.

"My place is in Atlas. Don't worry, you'll see me again," James promised.

"You're not gone forever, you just won't be here right now," Glynda assured him, though she was trying to assure herself more.

"That's right," James said. That was then it. James looked like he wanted to say more, but let go of Glynda's hand and continued up the ramp with his last crate.

"Everything all set, Darcy?" James asked the computer which was clipped on him as an earpiece.

"We're all set and ready to go sir," Darcy replied in a chipper tone.

"Excellent," James said. The door to the ship then closed and sealed itself up, leaving Glynda standing alone to watch the ship take off and disappear into the sky.

She adjusted her glasses, remembering that James had given them to her. Her glasses was the only thing from James that was left behind with her to remember him. She knew that James would come back to visit, but her thoughts acted as if he was gone forever. That made one of three people she cared about gone. She didn't know how she felt about the way Ozpin reacted to the idea of her leaving Vale, and Theodora was rarely seen at home anymore, making it difficult for Glynda to be able to reconnect with her. Somehow, James leaving made her feel alone.**

*Glynda looked Peter Port and Bartholomew Oobleck up and down as if they needed her opinion on their physique to make it into the team Ozpin was trying to form. They stood side by side in the large room with the stage in the abandoned temple. The temple was starting to feel a little more crowded, and less like the "happy place" that was reserved just for Oz and Glynda.

"Have you given any more thought to my offer, Peter?" Oz asked. Peter's posture nervously shifted as he slightly shook his head.

"My grandfather still needs a lot of work done with my help. I might be able to assist you when I have the time, but I can't be a full-time team player," he admitted. Oz nodded in understanding.

"Any time you're able to provide is fine. I understand that you're busy," he said. He turned to face Oobleck.

"And what about you Oobleck? Are you in, or out?" Oz asked.

"Well I typically spend most of my time hiking and studying as it is so I believe I can certainly have a little more action in my life. You're offering me an opportunity, an opportunity I cannot refuse," Oobleck replied. He adjusted his glasses with an approving grin.

"Wonderful. If we are to work together, our first task will be simple but important," Oz said. Glynda's ears pricked up to listen closer. This was obviously important, since she was agreeing to be a part of it.

"Once we feel ready and capable, we're going to take down Collus Torchwick," Oz explained. It was then at that moment that Glynda somewhat wished she had agreed to go with James to Atlas.**


	6. From Shadows

**AN: This has to be one of my favorite chapters yet. Finally, after five stories of building things up, I think we're finally getting some serious payoff. This chapter was so much fun to write and if I'm not mistaken, it's the longest one too. I also have a basic outline mapped out for the end of this series. I'm so excited. Also, I've changed the rating of this series from K+ to T. I felt like this chapter made the series earn that rating.**

*It was hard for Jasper to breathe. Between the heavy amount of dust in the air and the electro-whip slashing his naked back it was hard for him to take a breath or concentrate. A Faunus pushing a cartwheel full of crystals shuffled past Jasper. His foot smashed into a sharp rock sticking up from the ground. With a painful howl, the Faunus lost control of the cartwheel and it tipped over to the side, spilling crystals everywhere.

The slaver behind the Faunus lashed out with his whip and slashed it across the slave's back. The slave hollered so loudly the sounds of its screams made the ears on the sides of Jasper's head and the bear ears on top of his head ring, filling Jasper with nothing but an eerie ringing sound that blocked out all other noises. Grunting, Jasper clamped his hands over his bear ears.

Then he felt another lash of pain across his back from the slaver behind him. He was larger than a lot of the others with beefy arms and hands that gripped the whip so hard his knuckles whitened. He had a broad chest of which its outline could be clearly seen through his sweat-soaked shirt.

"Don't worry about what's going on next to you, keep digging!" The slaver ordered. Jasper's grip loosened on the shovel he held. They underground inside a mine to collect buried crystals. The crystals were used as the core to create the Schnee Dust company's famous energy repellant. The slavers that tortured the Faunus slaves worked for the company and made sure that the slaves collected adequate amounts every day.

Jasper thought back to the moment when Ozpin watched him get dragged out of the coffee shop. He thought about how Ozpin didn't do anything and even denied that he knew him.

He thought Ozpin was his friend, how could he betray him like that?

The thought of it made his skinned fingers tighten their hold on the handle of his shovel.

"What did I tell you? Keep digging!" The slaver barked. Jasper whirled around to face him and swung his shovel, smashing it across the slaver's face. A tooth flew out of his mouth and he crumpled to the ground.

_How could he betray me like that? Who does Ozpin think he is? Does he really think he's better than me? Better than us?_

Jasper looked around at the slaves and slave drivers that had stopped to stare in shock at what happened.

Jasper raised his shovel in the air, showing off the blood on it left from the slaver.

"_No_!" He screamed. The slavers stepped back in fear at the sight.

"Defend yourselves brothers and sisters! We will not tolerate this discrimination and torture anymore!" Jasper yelled. The other Faunus looked at each other, then looked at the slavers with deadly looks. The slavers raised their whips in case they had to defend themselves.

"Stand down! Stand down, all of you!" One of the slavers ordered. His voice was trembling in fear however at the impending doom.

All of the Faunus slaves glanced at each other one last time, then all looked at Jasper. Jasper nodded his approval. Then the slaves raised their voices in unison one word.

_No._

"No, no, no, no, _no_!" The slaves screamed, raising their fists in defiance. One by one, they attacked their masters, tackling them down to the ground. The screams of the drivers filled the mines.

Pain, torture, agony, pain, torture, agony…

Jasper leaped after another slaver, crashing his shovel down on his head, smiling in pleasure at the sound of the slaver's cracking skull.

_He betrayed me_, _so I will betray him_.

Jasper felt an electric pulse explode up the back of his leg. Enraged, he turned around tackled the slaver with the whip by running up against him and shoving him down to the ground. Jasper raised his hand, the nails of an Ursa popped out.

"No, no don't—!"

Jasper dealt the killing blow without hesitation.

_He betrayed me, so I will betray him_. _I will betray all of them_.

The terrorized screams of the slave drivers died out more and more as they were all killed. The Faunus slaves shouted out in rejoice as they murdered their oppressors. Jasper bared his teeth as he watched the last of the slave drivers get mauled and slashed and beaten to death.

_He betrayed me, so I will betray him. I will betray all of them_. _The humans will all burn_.

_Ozpin will burn_.

"Brothers and sisters! Today, we unite under one flag!" Jasper shouted out. The Faunus slaves all redirected their attention back to Jasper, who stood proud and tall with his foot planted on the back of a dead slaver.

"We will be the new White Fang! A discipleship together, to show the humans that discrimination and torture of our kind will _not _be tolerated! We will make an example, to show the humans what's coming to them!" Jasper declared. He stalked over to the slave driver that was whipping him earlier and picked him up by the back of his shirt. The slaver groaned in pain and blinked drops of blood out of his eyes.

"Starting with him," Jasper hissed. All around him, the Faunus slaves cheered and howled and hooted.

_I will betray all of them_. _The humans will all burn_. _Ozpin will burn_.**

*Ozpin wasn't really sure what he was doing.

For three years he had had Glynda by his side almost constantly. Wherever he went, most of the time Glynda was with him. Ever since Glynda had discovered her Semblance, it was almost as if he felt his job with Glynda was done. It was as if he was no longer responsible for her or needed to teach her anything else. He found himself sitting next to Glynda's sister Theodora at home while Glynda was out training with Peter and Oobleck.

Peter, Oobleck, and Glynda were going to make a great team with Oz against Collus. Ozpin wanted to wait until Collus came back to the Emerald Forest to do more mining, then they would take him on. Oz knew that Collus was not going to go down without a fight, so he wanted to face him somewhere where civilians won't get hurt.

"Remember the sword I picked up while you were taking me and my sister to your home?" Theodora asked.

"Hmm?" Oz replied, looking up at her and jerking himself out of his thoughts.

"Do you remember the sword I brought home with me three years ago?" Theodora asked.

"Yes, you never explained to me what it was. I just assumed it was yours," Oz replied.

"Not really. It was my mother's," Theodora explained. Ozpin raised an eyebrow. His interest piqued.

"Wait right here," Theodora said. She got up and walked out of the living room. While she was gone, Oz touched his cheek again on the spot where Theodora had kissed him just a few days ago. He had never forgotten it, and it almost messed with his head. After months of this hope that maybe he could start something with Glynda, why this sudden interest in Theodora?

Theodora returned a long sword she held flat in both hands, as if presenting it for someone to take. She sat back down next to Oz.

"As you probably know, most weapons are created to serve as several kinds of weapons. A scythe can turn into a sniper rifle, a hammer can turn into a plasma gun, things like that. This sword is exactly what it is. A sword," Theodora explained. Oz eyed the sword. The blade was so clean that he saw his own reflection gazing up at him from it.

"I keep it to train myself, so that I can become a Huntress some day," Theodora said.

"You never said that you were interested in being a Huntress," Oz pointed out, fascinated now by Theodora's ambition.

"Yes. My mother was a Huntress, so I want to become one too," Theodora replied.

"Is that the only reason?" Oz asked. Theodora looked at him, her eyes seeming to hint a bit of uncertainty.

"Well no, I—I—I sort of wanted to make you proud…" Theodora's words drifted away, leaving her mouth shut with her cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

Ozpin cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"Yeah, I—was hoping maybe I can make you proud of me if I trained to become a Huntress," Theodora confessed, her words tumbling over each other so that she constantly had to correct herself.

"When did you ever get the impression that I'm not proud of you?" Oz asked.

Theodora quickly shook her head. "I didn't, I just—always see you with Glynda instead."

Ozpin felt his body shift a little closer to Theodora's, enough to feel her body heat and the loose strands from her black dress.

"That doesn't mean I'm not—proud—of you. If it has, I'm sorry. I truly am," he admitted. He could see a heartrending pain wrestling itself in Theodora's eyes. Something about her seemed off, but Oz barely thought about it when he saw the pain in Theodora's face that made him feel sorry for her. Come to think of it, Ozpin knew that he barely talked to Theodora even though he had had plenty of opportunities to.

"Please tell me what's on your mind, Ozpin. You've been working harder lately than you ever have," Theodora said.

Ozpin trusted her enough to tell her this. She had told him about her goal to become a Huntress and had showed him her mother's sword.

"I'm getting a team together. Our goal is to destroy the man Collus that runs the night club in Vale," Ozpin said.

"The one who mines crystals in the Emerald Forest? Why?" Theodora asked.

"He's using precious resources for selfish purposes. He's using Dust to collect fame, he's _using Dust_…" Ozpin stopped himself and shut his eyes. He bit his lip and held himself back from saying another word. He curled his hand into a fist.

"Sorry, I just—I hate him," he said. He felt a soft hand touch his cheek. It felt tingly too, almost unnaturally so.

"What if I can help you?" Theodora asked. Oz turned to stare at her, looking into her gorgeous eyes.

"Let me take care of Collus, and you can train your team to bring the Huntsmen and Huntresses back."

"I'm trying to create a new academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses in training. It's my responsibility to revive them."

"Then do it, and let me handle Collus," Theodora said. Her face was just several inches away from Ozpin's now.

"I've been looking forward to destroying him for so long. It should be my responsibility," Oz whispered. Theodora tilted her head.

"Don't you trust me?"

"Of course."

"If I destroy Collus myself, will you be proud of me then?" Theodora asked. Ozpin answered by kissing Theodora full on the lips, long and hard. Theodora wrapped her legs around Oz's waist and threw her arms around Oz's neck.**

*Theodora had him now. He was hers now. Not Glynda's, _hers_. She had loved him since the day she first met him, and had wanted him so badly. She knew now what she had to do to keep him. She knew now what she had to do in order for him to be proud of her. When she destroys Collus, it won't be because that's what the one she served wanted. It was because it would guarantee Ozpin's approval. And his love.**

*Ozpin and Theodora stopped when Oz's scroll on the table in front of them beeped. It was the beep signaling that there was an emergency news alert. Oz and Theodora's lips separated but Oz still felt the heat. He picked up his scroll and pulled it open to stretch the screen out.

A news reporter named Magenta was standing in the news station with a screen displaying security camera footage of a violent riot in the streets of Vale. Cars were on fire and people fled in all directions, trying desperately to get away from a mob of…

Faunus.

"_An angry mob of Faunus is terrorizing the city of Vale. The members of the mob appear to belong to the Schnee Dust company's miners_. _The reason for this riot is unknown, but we're receiving reports that bodies of the slavers they belonged to have been found in the mines near Vale_," Magenta narrated.

"This is so unexpected," Theodora commented.

"Not really, the Faunus and the human race have been at odds with each other for a very long time," Ozpin replied.

"But why did this riot start? Why now?" Theodora asked. It frustrated Oz that he didn't know the answer to that question.

Then he spotted him in the footage.

_Jasper_?

"Hold on," Magenta said, raising her hand to her earpiece. "We're receiving video footage being streamed through a scroll by a civilian in Vale."

Magenta and her station disappeared to let in a video screen showing Jasper standing at the center of the mob. He had a hood over his head, covering his bear ears. His eyes blazed with a fierce insanity and anger that made Ozpin cringe. He felt Theodora's body shiver against him.

In Jasper's hand, he gripped the collar of a large man with his outfit showing off his allegiance to the Schnee Dust company as a slave driver.

"All of you who are human, listen to me! You will all know how it feels to be mistreated and discriminated and tortured! We will torture you just as you have tortured us!"

He raised the man higher in his grip. "But first, an example," he turned to face the man.

"What is your name?" He asked. The man hesitated, but finally gave in.

"Duke Winchester," he said.

"Now, Duke Winchester, tell me what we all want to hear. Say, 'we'll rise'," Jasper said.

"I—I ca—."

"_Say it!" _Jasper screamed, spittle flying from his mouth.

"We'll rise," Duke squeaked. Jasper grinned in satisfaction.

"Thank you Duke," he said. He then proceeded to whip Duke with an electro-whip. Over and over again he did it and didn't stop regardless of Duke's pleas for him to stop. Jasper cackled and spit at Duke. He didn't stop until Duke stopped moving.

All Ozpin was able to do was stare at the screen in horror and disgust. He could feel acid leaping up his throat to strangle him.

"This is horrible. It's sick," Theodora said. Jasper looked in the direction of the screen. The screen shook when the person recording realized he saw him.

"Ah good, you're recording. I want Vale to know that I will not stop unless one of you brings me the man known as Ozpin to me. I want him alive. Do you hear that, Ozpin? If you do not come to me, more will die," Jasper declared. Oz dropped the scroll and shook his head. He reached to touch Theodora's arms.

"Why does he want you?" Theodora asked.

"I did this. This is my fault," Oz said.

"How?"

"I gave him a coin once when he was out on the street homeless, and when he went into a coffee shop, the owner wanted him out. He tried to get me to be on his side, but I denied I knew him because I didn't want it to look like I supported him," Ozpin explained.

"Well," Theodora stuttered, "that makes sense. You're going to be a professor. You'll hurt your reputation if you're seen supporting the Faunus."

"I know. But there's more. To help him—before the shop incident—I secured him a job to work for the Schnee Dust company. I had no idea they would treat him like this," Ozpin said. Theodora nodded in understanding.

"What are you going to do?" She asked.

"I have to go find and gather the others. I can't go to Jasper alone, he won't stop hurting people. Now that he has a force behind him, he won't stop," Oz said. Theodora put her hand on his cheek.

"Go."

Ozpin nodded, and made sure to plant a brief kiss on Theodora's lips before leaving.

On his way out, his scroll beeped again, signaling that someone was calling him. When he saw that it was his father calling him, he put his scroll back and ignored the remaining beeps.**

*"Father? Dad?" Roman called out. He was standing in the doorway at his house, looking down the hall. No answer came. There had been nights where he stood in the doorway calling for his mother, knowing fully well that the only answer he was going to get was a loud, angry reaction from his father Collus. This time, his father wasn't answering.

Roman looked down at his scroll, watching the news footage of the riots going on in the streets of Vale. He was rocked off his feet when an explosion violently shook the ground. He slammed his head against the side of the doorway. Bright lights exploded like fireworks in his vision.

Grunting in pain, he staggered back onto his feet, clutching his head. His father wasn't home. There was only one other place to look. Knowing he couldn't go without something to defend himself, he got his cane and stormed out of the house.

The sun's light was blocked out from the heavy smoke in the air. Cars sat in flames on both sides of the street and bodies could be seen littered in the most random places. Roman spotted one Faunus picking up the body of a human and tossing it like a rag doll into a dumpster.

Roman fell back when a Faunus ran into him. This Faunus had a bull's horns in his head, its edges sharpened enough to impale Roman through and through. Roman aimed the butt end of his cane at the Faunus. The bottom opens up to reveal a rifle with a cross grid. He fires off a large blast, engulfing the Faunus and tossing it backwards. The Faunus crashed into the wall of a small, run-down shop. Roman gets up and dusts himself off with a grimace.

"I just got this suit cleaned," he complained. He twirled the cane in his hand and continued his way towards the night club. Once he got there, his heart dropped down his stomach. The large front doors of the night club had been sealed shut and barricaded. Several nervous guards stood at attention by the doors. Roman ran towards them.

"You have to let me in! My father is in there!" Roman demanded. The guards looked at each other and shook their heads.

"Sorry Roman, but your father has ordered us to not let anyone in. The place is sealed tight. No one can enter," one of the guards said.

"Please—let me at least speak to him. There has to be some way I can do that," Roman said.

"_Look out!" _Another guard screamed. Roman turned around and saw a car wrapped in flames hurtling towards them. Roman threw himself out of the way and the car smashed against the door. It barely made a dent in it, but the guards were down. The large, bulky Faunus responsible for throwing the car came after Roman. It had bull's horns just like the other one that Roman faced. When he got a closer look at him, Roman realized it was the same Faunus. This time, the Faunus had a long rod staff with a short, silver blade protruding out of one end. Roman twirled the cane in his hand, and slapped it across the Faunus's chest twice. It barely affected the Faunus. It only made him angrier. Steam erupted from his nostrils. It ran closer to Roman, spinning the staff in both of his hands. Roman kept himself protected by spinning his cane as a defense mechanism. Roman lashed out by hooking the end of his cane around the Faunus's neck and riding his cane around the animal so that he was behind it. He yanked his cane back hard, listening to the sickening snap of the Faunus's neck.

Though Roman's throat felt bone dry, he managed to spit a wad at the Faunus's body.

"Stupid mutt," Roman said.

Coughing from the new smoke billowing from the remains of the car, Roman stumbled his way over to one of the guards and snatched his scroll from his belt. He made a call to his father.

"_Roman_?" Collus asked.

"Dad, it's me. I'm outside the club. You have to let me in," Roman begged.

"Where are my guards?" Collus demanded.

"Dead. Why won't you let me _in_?" Roman said, his voice rising higher each second.

"The place is sealed. I have every possible security protocol enacted," Collus said. The hand that was holding the scroll dropped to Roman's side as he tried to process this. His father wasn't going to let him in. He was alone out here.

_Where's Theodora? She said she would meet me at home an hour ago_.

Roman raised the scroll back to his ear. "I hate you, Dad," he said.

"I know you do, son. Good luck," Collus replied. He then hung up, leaving Roman to throw the scroll away in a rage.**

*Ozpin strode up to a large screen he had set up in the large room with the stage in the "happy place". Behind him, Glynda, Peter, and Oobleck stood watching him. Using his scroll to stream the video to the screen, he contacted the person he needed to talk to.

"Yes, Ozpin?" The man on the screen asked.

"Have you seen the news? Do you know what's happening?" Oz asked.

"Of course. The leader of this group of terrorists is asking for you. What have you done?" The man asked. Ozpin hesitated before answering.

"I've done nothing. I don't know why he's asking for me," he lied. He could feel the butterflies in his stomach.

"If that is the case, you need to decide what to do. He won't stop until you come to him or someone finds you and takes you to him."

"I will go to him myself. I can't endanger my team or the lives of the rest of the civilians in Vale," Ozpin said.

"Very good. Do what needs to be done, even if it's hard," the man requested.

"Thank you, Qrow. I will keep you updated," Ozpin promised. He disconnected the signal and turned to the others. He tried to keep his eyes off of Glynda. Whenever he looked at her now, he felt somewhat guilty. He thought about his kiss with Theodora. He knew it had changed him. For better or worse, he didn't know yet.

"Don't try and help me unless I give the word," Ozpin said to his team. Though they looked like they disagreed with him, Glynda, Peter, and Oobleck all gravely nodded. Ozpin had to do this alone. This was a personal matter.**

**Yes, Duke Winchester is Cardin Winchester's father. Yes, the Planet of the Apes reference near the beginning was intentional. It just felt so perfect for the moment.**


	7. Building Foundations

**AN: Back and, in my opinion, better than ever! I think this storyline is really starting to find its footing now and hit its stride. Hopefully you guys think so! Remember to leave feedback. I would also like to hear theories from you guys as to what will happen in future stories. I love reading readers' theories.**

Inside _The Witch's Apple_, Jasper and several of his Faunus disciples had Poma Gran and some of her employees on their knees with their hands behind their heads. Jasper clutched his bloody shovel and kept it over Poma's head.

"You support Faunus labor for your kitchen," he said.

"I don't call it labor," Poma insisted. Enraged, Jasper dropped the shovel at his feet and reached down and gripped Poma's hair.

"But that's how _we _see it, and _we _don't like it," he barked.

"Let her go, Jasper," Ozpin's voice spoke. Jasper straightened in attention and looked around. Ozpin was nowhere to be seen.

"You have me now, Jasper. Now let them go," Oz said. Jasper chuckled, tightening his grip on Poma who groaned in pain.

"I don't think that's possible just yet. I don't have you until I _see _you," he said. Without waiting for Oz to reply, Jasper picked up his shovel and swung it down upon Poma's head. Poma's body fell limp to the floor.

Ozpin finally stepped into the room through the double doors of the kitchen.

"Looking for me?" He asked. Jasper's eyes locked onto Oz and he grinned in a sadistic satisfaction.

"Hello, Oz," Jasper said.

"Let the hostages go Jasper. No one else needs to get hurt."

Jasper hesitated, continuing to stare at Oz without words instead.

"Tell everyone to leave so that we can settle this alone," Ozpin said. Jasper nodded. He turned to his Faunus disciples.

"All of you, get out. Let the hostages go. I have what I want," he ordered. The disciples nodded and filed out, shoving the hostages out with them.

"Thank you," Ozpin said, knowing that that wouldn't make Jasper change his mind about what he was doing.

"The time to say 'thank you' is too late in coming, Ozpin. You hurt me, and now I'm going to hurt _you_," Jasper replied.

"I'm sorry I lied back in that coffee shop. I was wrong," Oz tried. Jasper took several dangerous steps forward.

"You think that's all I'm mad about? You gave me a job as a _slave _to humans! Every lash I got from a whip was because of you," Jasper said. He turned around to show off the lashes on his naked back. Ozpin fidgeted uncomfortably at the sight. Remorse blossomed in Oz at the realization of how much pain Jasper had suffered.

"I didn't know, Jasper," he said. Jasper whirled around to face him again.

"I think you did! And now I'm going to kill you and then go after everyone you love!" He declared. Ozpin then thought of Glynda and Oobleck and Port. And Theodora. Jasper was too deep in his own anger and pain to listen to reason. Oz knew he had no choice.

"You're not going to kill anyone else," Ozpin said, reaching for his weapon.

"Don't try to stop me!" Jasper urged in a poisonous tone. He threw his shovel aside and got down on all fours. Nails like an Ursa's popped out from Jasper's fingertips. With an animal-like roar, he sprung himself at Ozpin. Oz pulled out his gun and fired off several rounds. Two of them missed and exploded against the window by the front door, shattering the glass and tossing shards everywhere. The third one hit Jasper's face. It barely affected him at all. After quickly shaking the pain off, Jasper continued coming to Oz and lunged at him with his hand out to strike him across the throat.

Ozpin dropped and rolled to the side. With a flick of his thumb, he switched the settings on his gun and fired a cable at Jasper. The cable wrapped itself around Jasper's arm. Jasper roared and his arm with the cable around it yanked back so hard the cable snapped.

"Uh oh not good," Oz groaned. Jasper grinned, revealing disjointed teeth. He turned and continued towards Oz, faster this time. Ozpin stood up and leaped back over the bar counter just as Jasper's hand swiped the very spot where Oz was a second ago. Lowering the impact setting on his gun, Oz stuck the barrel of his gun into the counter and pulled the trigger. Pieces of wood erupted off, creating a large hole. Jasper found his opportunity to start coming through the opening, but Ozpin knew he was going to do that. He picked up a long, thin strip of wood with a sharp end and began beating Jasper with it over and over in the face. Jasper screamed and threw himself back. Ozpin seized the opportunity and threw the piece of wood at Jasper like a spear.

Jasper swung his hand down across the piece of wood as it came hurtling towards him, splitting the wood into two halves.

"You're very clever Ozpin, but I will eventually break you," he mocked. Ozpin straightened his posture in the hopes that he looked tougher.

"It's going to take a lot to break me," he said. With another animal roar, Jasper launched himself off the ground and leaped after Oz. Oz fired more rounds of plasma at Jasper, then leaped out of the way. Jasper crashed against the shelf of wine bottles lined up. Bottles fell over, some completely shattered on the floor. Oz grabbed a bottle that rolled by him and came at Jasper with it. He swung to hit his neck, but Jasper managed to grab the bottle before it connected with him and dug his nails through it. The bottom half of the bottle fell to the floor. Jasper smiled. Ozpin smiled back.

Ozpin kicked the half of the bottle on the floor and watched it slide and cut Jasper's foot. Jasper hollered like a wounded wolf and staggered, giving Oz the opportunity to fire a round of plasma at Jasper's throat. Jasper was flung backwards, crashing through the double doors of the kitchen. Ozpin went after him.

The kitchen looked normal enough. Cooking tables were stretched out in a perfect line in the middle, with pots and pans hanging on the low ceiling. Several large sinks lined one side of the room while ovens and fryers lined the other side. Oz spotted Jasper struggling to get back up. Smoke curled up from his throat where he had been hit.

"Given up yet?" Ozpin asked. Jasper shook his head.

"You are strong, but you can't go on forever," he replied. He got back onto his feet, and snatched a dangling pan. Ozpin grabbed his own pan and a ringing sound exploded through his ears when Jasper's pan connected with his own. The two of them continued going at it with their pans, until finally Jasper took one large, violent swing that decapitated the head of Ozpin's pan from the handle. Oz stumbled back in shock, staring in disbelief at the broken end of the handle where the rest of the pan used to be.

"Like I said, you can't go on forever," Jasper said. Ozpin threw the handle in a way that spun in the air like a boomerang. Jasper swung his pan so that it knocked the handle aside. Oz leaped over one of the tables in the middle to get to the other side.

"Yes I can!" He yelled. He had to go on. If he stopped, he would die. Only one of them was walking away from this fight. Oz grabbed two more pans from the ceiling and threw them at Jasper who batted them both away but Oz was able to tell that he was growing tired. Realizing he had a few seconds to come up with a plan, his gaze searched the kitchen until it locked on the walk-in fridge.

"Perhaps _you _are the one that can't go on forever," Oz teased.

"Try me!" Jasper warned. He sprang over the line of tables in the middle and swung at Oz with his pan again. Ozpin ducked, feeling the whoosh of air directly above as the pan passed over him. Jasper was in front of him in the way of the fridge, which was on the other side of the room where they had been fighting with pans minutes ago. Oz spotted the severed pan head on the floor and had an idea. He leaped, connecting one foot with one of the sinks against the wall and let go, landing both feet on the floor so that he was on the other side of Jasper. Jasper attempted to knock Oz out by swinging his pan again while turning around to face him. Ozpin dropped and rolled underneath the line of tables and grabbed the head of his pan. Leaping back up, his eyes widened in shock when he realized that Jasper had his gun.

"Oh," he said.

"Clumsy move, Ozpin," Jasper replied. Jasper aimed and fired multiple rounds of plasma. Oz held up the pan head like a shield and felt the blasts smash against the pan and toss him backwards. His back hit one of the ovens and bounced him onto the floor near the fridge. A sharp pain shot up the side he fell on. Grunting, he scrambled back onto his feet and fell forward against the door of the fridge. His breathing was heavy and sweat streamed down his face.

"You're tired," Jasper said with the tone of a seducing lover.

_Don't screw this up Ozpin_.

Jasper got to Oz's side of the room and ran at him with the gun and pan. Oz fumbled with the door handle, his hand shaking.

_Stop it! Be still!_

Oz finally managed to open the door wide and leap out of the way just as Jasper got to him and slid into the fridge. Jasper slipped on the ice and fell onto his back, letting go of Oz's gun. Seeing his opening, Oz rolled into the fridge, grabbed his gun, and rolled out. When Jasper barely got his footing back and started to lunge after Oz, Ozpin switched the setting of his gun so that it was at the highest level and fired.

"_No—!" _Jasper screamed. The plasma blast exploded when it collided with Jasper. A ball of fire exploded, hurling intense cold from the fridge and intense heat. Oz felt himself get projected backwards like a rag doll. His head hit something concrete and everything went black.

When Ozpin woke up, he immediately groaned because of the pounding headache in his temples. He was laying in a bed and he found himself staring up at a blank white ceiling. He was back in his room. It reminded him of when he had climbed up one of the tallest trees in the Emerald Forest not long after he brought Glynda and Theodora home and he had slipped and fallen off, hitting his head and getting knocked out cold. When he woke up later he found himself lying on his bed with Glynda sleeping in a chair beside him.

This time, Glynda wasn't the one sitting beside his bed. He saw Theodora's eyes flutter open.

"Oz? You feeling alright?" Theodora asked. She stood up and walked over to Oz's side gazing down at him. Now there was another odd thing. He was used to seeing Glynda, not Theodora, gazing down at him when she wanted to go to their "happy place".

"Where's Glynda? Are the others safe?" Ozpin asked.

"Yes. They're back at the temple. You did it Oz, the Faunus is dead," Theodora said. Oz frowned and tried to remember. First it was just a vague thought. He remembered an Ursa's claws. Then it all came back to him. His fight with Jasper in _The Witch's Apple_.

"How do we know for sure that he's dead?" Ozpin asked.

"Some of his followers went back into the restaurant and came out with his body. One of them said he's not breathing," Theodora replied.

"They took the body?" Ozpin asked.

"Yes. Which means we don't have to worry about him when we set back out to deal with Collus. Mostly everyone knew that Jasper wanted you but after they learned that you killed him, they decided they're willing to let you off the hook. For now," Theodora pointed out. Ozpin's gaze darted away from Theodora for a moment as he processed this. Jasper was dead. Or at least, it sounded like he was. Theodora was right. Now they can get back to their task.

"Will I be alright?" Ozpin asked.

"Yes, just a nasty bump on the head. You can get up any time," Theodora said. Then she reached over and took Oz's hand. Her hand felt warm and and had the same odd tingling sensation in Ozpin's hand like it did on his cheek.

"You saved lives Ozpin. Remember that when I destroy Collus for you," Theodora said. She leaned down and planted a kiss on Oz's forehead. Then her expression changed to one that invoked sadness.

"There's something else. Peter Port's grandfather is dead," she said. Shock rattled up Ozpin's spine.

"Dead?"

"He was killed trying to defend some civilians during the Faunus attack," Theodora explained.

"How is Peter taking it?"

"Really hard. But after he told us what happened, he said that his allegiance is now with you completely," Theodora said. Sorrow for Peter enveloped Ozpin. This had to be rough for him.

"So what now then?" Theodora asked, moving on from the subject. That's when weak and confused Ozpin turned into confident and deep-thinking Ozpin. There was time to think about Jasper later.

"We have to train. To build an academy, we need good teachers, and my team will work hard to achieve that goal. And you," Ozpin said.

"Then I guess we better get started," Theodora urged.

Standing together in the temple, Ozpin made his announcement.

"We are going to build an academy here. This place we're standing in right now will be it. We need to train, and together, we can become an unstoppable force against any that conspire against this great kingdom. Soon we will take down Collus and any other threats like the White Fang should they come back with a new leader."

"And now we have someone new joining us to train," Ozpin said. He stepped aside to allow Theodora to step up. In response, Peter gave a flirty wink.

"Theodora here will be training with us. She says that she will be the one to lead us against Collus," Ozpin explained. Theodora spread her arms out as a way to get everyone's attention.

"My friends, I will do everything in my power to make sure we succeed. You won't be disappointed," Theodora said.

"Now, let's get started," Oz said, then finished by taking a deep breath. This was it. Everything was falling into place.

Screams echoed across the entire hospital, which was empty except for one room. Jasper lay in a bed screaming up at the ceiling. He clenched his fists so tight they were white. Blood rushed to Jasper's head as he continued screaming.

"Please! Just let me die! I don't want this anymore! I don't want this!" Jasper begged. Tears streamed down his cheeks and soaked his hospital gown.

"Put him under. We can't do it like this," a voice said in the dark room lit up only by a lightbulb directly above Jasper's bed. Something touched Jasper's shoulder. He flinched and almost raised his arm to lash out, but he felt a needle pierce the side of his neck. Everything became blurry until all the voices grew distant as if there were people speaking in the next room.

"It's okay Jasper, everything is going to be alright," someone said before Jasper went completely under. In the darkness, Jasper could hear things that were said to him not too long ago.

_I don't hate you_. _You turning out to be a Faunus does not change my opinion of you_.

Those were Ozpin's words. Before he betrayed Jasper.

_Don't be afraid to show the world who you are_.

Jasper had no idea it was possible to cry when unconscious but he could hear himself weeping as he endured the memory flashes.

_Ozpin, my dear friend, please help me_.

_Do you know this guy?_ the shop owner had asked.

_No. I don't know him_.

Jasper felt fresh tears spill down his face. _Ozpin, my dear friend_…

Rage overtook him. _How could you?_

_I hate you Ozpin. I always will_.

When Jasper's eyes finally opened and he was back in the real world, he was able to look down and see the cybernetics that were now his legs. He tried moving one of the legs and it made an ominous whirring sound as it moved.

"You're fixed up. We'll be releasing you shortly," someone said. Jasper looked up at the person who was talking. He recognized him as one of the Faunus slaves in the mines.

"What are your orders?" The Faunus asked. Jasper looked away from him and stared up at the ceiling again. A crooked grin cracked through his face, revealing teeth more disjointed then they were before the incident in _The Witch's Apple_.

"I'm going to need some improvements," he said.

**AN: Aw snap! Guys, you have no idea of the plans I have for this series! I have some awesome stuff for this series that I came up with just recently, so now I feel that this series has a definitive direction with an idea for how the ending will go.**


	8. I Remember

**AN: Guys, I teared up at one point while writing this story. I'm really happy for the way this turned out, but it was difficult to write. I kept going back and tweaking stuff and changing stuff so I really hope you guys like this. For this story, I think it's appropriate to quote Elfin Maid, one of my readers: Yay, Glynda! **

**Seriously, Glynda is awesome in this chapter. I love how she's getting more attention.**

Glynda Goodwitch stood on one side of a ring in another room in the temple which Ozpin had chosen to use as a practice arena. Standing on the other side of the ring was her sister Theodora, who appeared to have full confidence in the coming match. It made Glynda feel unsure that she looked confident herself. She tightened her grip on an old sword that Peter had lent her for the match. Theodora was holding their mother's sword. She stared up at the screen on the wall beside her that showed off her Aura meter. Right now, it was in the red. Theodora's Aura meter on the other hand was dead in the middle.

Glynda knew the others were watching. Ozpin, Peter, and Oobleck all watched the two from a safe spot on the bleachers on the other side of the room. Glynda practiced a few swings with the sword to get a feel for it and checked the setting on the hilt. The material of the blade had been electronically tweaked to prevent actual injury during a practice duel. The same thing had been done to Theodora's sword.

"Let the match begin," Ozpin announced. Glynda shot one last quick glance at Oz before charging at her sister. For a second, consistent concerns for her friend circled back around in her head, then retreated when she refocused her attention back on the match. Theodora was already coming for her with her sword raised over her head. Glynda noticed something like a light flickering at the tip of the blade that Theodora held. Glynda raised her own sword and parried Theodora's downward swing. Several more clashes between blades later and Glynda unleashed a gale of wind that tossed Theodora back. Her sister landed on her side with their mother's sword lying next to her.

"Time out," Ozpin called out. Glynda's cheeks burned from embarrassment. She lowered her borrowed sword and her gaze fell to the floor.

"Sorry, sorry, I know," she said. Oz came over to Glynda and gently raised her sword-hand up so that the blade was straight before her face again.

"When I say this, I am not only speaking to Glynda, I am speaking to all of you. Essentially, there is nothing wrong with using your Semblance or Aura during a fight, but we can't always rely on our Semblance to defeat the enemy. If we did that, then we would decide it's okay to use our power _too _much and physically we gain nothing," Ozpin explained. Glynda watched Oz shoot a glance at Theodora, who nodded in understanding.

"He's right, sister," she said.

"Let me try it again," Glynda responded. Ozpin shook his head, which made Glynda's spirits fall to the floor in a dead heap.

"I think you need to watch more matches between different people so that you can gain a better understanding."

A tear rose in Glynda's eyes, and she can feel pain bulging up the bridge of her nose and between her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I failed you," she said.

"Do not call it a failure. You're training. Mistakes _will _be made, and you will learn from them," Oz encouraged. It was the warmest tone he had spoken to Glynda in in quite some time.

"Okay," Glynda replied, still refusing to look up at him. She walked off of the ring and sat on the bottom row of bleachers against the wall. Up on the screen with her Aura meter, the meter was full but she had apparently used it wrong.

Three weeks after Jasper's death, Glynda was beginning to realize that things weren't the same between her and Ozpin. Their relationship was different. Now it wasn't like the time when they were simply best friends looking out for each other and spending nights in the temple, which they had not called their "happy place" since Jasper's demise. Glynda was realizing that she hated change, and change was all around her now. Whenever Glynda would try to find Oz just to talk to him, she normally couldn't find him. One night when she went to his room when she couldn't sleep, Ozpin wasn't there.

Glynda realized she had sat next to Oobleck, who had a notebook open furiously taking notes. Glynda could swear she saw a thin trail of smoke from the point of the pencil he was using to write with.

"Do you ever stop taking notes?" She asked with a hint of humor. Oobleck didn't stop until he finished his current sentence.

"Well I tend to take a break from notes to draw some diagrams and graphs but…other than that, not really," he answered. No wonder Glynda knew Oobleck less than everyone else. With Oobleck, she had to come up with just the right topic choice to get him to talk to her.

"I want to ask you something," Glynda said. Oobleck looked up from his notebook but he didn't look at her.

"What happened three weeks ago—with Jasper and the Faunus—do you think that will become a part of history?" Glynda asked. Oobleck finally looked at her with wide eyes that she was only able to know because of his raised eyebrows. His eyes were hidden behind shady, round glasses.

"Why what a preposterous question my dear! Why of course it will become a part of history. It was a continuation of the war between the humans and the Faunus race. If it wasn't for Ozpin, I fear that another great war would have been started and more lives would have been lost," he replied. Glynda looked away for a moment to process this. It was true that Oz had defeated a threat that would've only grown bigger, but at what cost? Jasper's followers were able to get away. What if they came back with a new leader?

When she looked back at Oobleck, he was already lost in his notes again. Finally, he finished filling the last page and shut it. Glynda breathed a sigh of relief at the thought of not having to hear a pencil that sounded like it was going through convulsions, but her enthusiasm wilted when she saw Oobleck pull out another fresh blank notebook and start writing on the first page.

Glynda was about to find a different spot to sit when she noticed Oobleck writing about Ozpin in the notebook which kept her attention.

"Why are you writing about Oz?" Glynda asked.

"I write about almost everybody I'm acquainted with. It helps me learn how I'm supposed to socialize with them," Oobleck said. He looked up to face Glynda again with a mischievous grin. "But I also like getting to know their motivations. In a bit, I plan to ask each one of us here why they want to be a Huntsman or Huntress."

"Starting with me?" Glynda asked. Her next two heartbeats came faster than normal.

"Why do you want to be a Huntress?" Oobleck asked without warning. Glynda hoped that she would have an answer to give right away, but she shut her mouth in the middle of opening it when she realized something.

She didn't know why she was training to become a Huntress. For three years, she did whatever Ozpin told her to do, and was willing to let him train her so that she can discover her Semblance and learn to use her Aura.

Then she thought about her parents and how they had been murdered and devoured by creatures of Grimm. She lost her parents because of them. She knew something had to be done about that. So her reasons for training were personal then? Did they have nothing to do with trying to protect others from suffering a similar fate as her parents?

"I don't know why I want to be a Huntress," Glynda told Oobleck. It wasn't the exact truth, but it was how Glynda felt for now. Glynda felt something like worms squirming around in her stomach when she saw Oobleck's expression in response to her answer. He looked as though he was trying to figure out if she was lying, and it looked like he was coming close to that conclusion.

"I see," he finally answered in an emotionless tone. He didn't write anything down. It made sense. Glynda's answer to his question wasn't particularly noteworthy.

"Let the match begin," Ozpin said again. Glynda's eyes widened when she looked up at the ring and saw Ozpin standing on one side with Theodora standing on the other side. An inkling of jealousy dropped through her senses and sizzled.

"Oobleck, can you tell me Ozpin's emotions based on his attacks?" Glynda asked. Oobleck frowned.

"Odd request, but I think I can do that. Why do you want me to do that?"

"Just let me worry about the details for now," Glynda answered, deciding it was a safe enough response.

"Very well," Oobleck said with an affirming nod. Glynda leaned forward in her seat to watch Oz and Theodora charge at each other. Ozpin had a long cane in his hand to parry Theodora's deadly swings. Glynda noticed that every time Theodora's sword hit Oz's cane, the tip would release a burst of white light that was almost blinding. Ozpin struggled to keep his sight intact whenever the sword's tip lit up and he heightened his own attacks.

"Hmm," Oobleck thought aloud next to Glynda. Glynda half-expected Oobleck to say something but he didn't. Returning her attention back to the fight, she watched Ozpin grow more and more aggressive, managing to twirl the cane in his hand so that the butt end was pointing up and attempt several strikes, one of which successfully got Theodora across the kneecap. With a pained gasp, Theodora's eyes shot up and she fell on one knee. Using both hands to grip her sword, she held it up just in time as Ozpin's cane came down at her. One clash and the tip of Theodora's sword lit up again, this time through the whole blade.

"Oh my, it's just as I suspected," Oobleck finally said. Glynda jumped, realizing how absorbed her attention had been in the fight.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Ozpin generates anger through his fighting. It's evident throughout his fighting style," Oobleck replied. He looked at Glynda with concern etched in his expression.

"I believe Ozpin may be letting out some bottled-up anger when he fights. The physical demands in the fight drives him to let loose," he explained. Glynda looked back at her friend in concern and watched Oz push his cane down against the sword so that it was inching towards Theodora's neck. Theodora's eyes grew wider as the blade drew closer. Finally, the side of the blade gently pressed against her neck.

"Need I go further?" Ozpin asked.

"I forfeit," Theodora replied, her voice shaky from trying to push back. Ozpin's ominous manner changed back to a softened nature.

"And that's the match," he declared, raising the cane away from Theodora. He reached his hand out for Theodora to take, which she gladly took and Oz helped her back onto her feet.

"I see you transmit some of your Aura to your blade. That is good. Your weapons can be used as conduits to project your Aura," Ozpin said.

"My mother—mine and Glynda's mother—taught me how to do that," Theodora replied.

"Well, she certainly taught you well. And that is an example of fighting and taking down an opponent without having to rely on your Semblance. Sometimes cases like this _will _happen, and we have to be physically ready for it," Ozpin said turning to the others sitting on the bleachers.

"Anger," Oobleck muttered close to Glynda's ear. Glynda felt a deep dread in her stomach. Ozpin was using bottled-up anger to have an advantage in a fight. His anger didn't appear to be about Theodora, it was being _directed _towards Theodora to best her. What his anger _is _towards Glynda wasn't sure. She suspected that it may be towards Oz's father Haman or Collus. A pit in her stomach made Glynda feel like Oz was in danger of growing reckless because of his emotions.

Oobleck kept his word. He asked Peter, Theodora, and Ozpin why they wanted to become Huntsmen and Huntresses. After Glynda, his next target was Peter.

"Peter, you have been through a rough time lately. Have the recent developments altered your reasons for becoming a Huntsman?" He asked Peter. Peter Port was sitting on the foot of his own bed in a room Ozpin provided for him inside the temple. Oobleck sat in a chair across the room with his notebook in one hand and a pencil in the other.

"My grandfather was a great man. I'm going to miss him, but I made the choice to become a Huntsman before he passed away and I was confident in my decision," Peter said.

"You're avoiding the real question, Mr. Port," Oobleck pointed out. "Why do you want to be a Huntsman?"

Peter released a heavy sigh while one hand played with his growing mustache. "I like the idea of being seen as a hero. The way I see it, I'm either a hero or I'm nobody. I can't stand the thought of being nobody, so I strive to be a hero. I want to be celebrated as one too."

Oobleck nodded. "I see." He finished his notes and dusted the eraser shavings off the page with one brisk swipe.

"And what about you, Theodora?" Oobleck asked. Theodora turned while walking down the hallway, one eyebrow was raised.

"What?"

"Why do you want to be a Huntress?" Oobleck pressed. Nervousness pricked Theodora's insides. How was she going to answer that question in a way that didn't make her sound, well, selfish? Also, what was an answer she could give that wasn't _completely _honest, but wasn't a lie either?

"My mother was a Huntress. That sword I used in the arena was given to me by her and I already know my Semblance. She helped me discover my Semblance and transmit part of my Aura to what is now my weapon," Theodora explained, patting the hilt of her sword in a sheath on her belt.

"I see," Oobleck said, taking a note. "So what you're saying is that you want to be a Huntress because your mother wanted you to be."

Oobleck's observation shocked Theodora. He didn't even say that as a question, it was an observation he made himself. He didn't even know the half of it, but she couldn't help but feel that he was right about that part. No, he couldn't be. She wanted to be a Huntress because that was the decision that she made on her own.

Was it?

Theodora was left speechless, which made her feel envious. She was normally the one with the right words to say, but this time she was beaten in a game she typically hosted.

"Hmm," Oobleck sounded, and he ran off in a blur that Theodora missed when she blinked.

FInally, Oobleck found Ozpin outside staring out at Vale sprawled out below them.

"Hello there, Ozpin. I have a question for you that I've been asking everyone else today," Oobleck said with his notebook already flipped open to a blank page. Ozpin smirked and turned to face him.

"You're going to ask me why I want to be a Huntsman," he said.

"You catch on quick," Oobleck complimented.

"Not really. Theodora told me," Ozpin admitted.

"Right then, so, what is your answer to the question?"

"How about I redirect the question to _you_," Ozpin suggested.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Why do you want to be a Huntsman?" Ozpin asked. It only took a second for Oobleck to gather up the confidence to answer. With his composure and shoulders straight, he answered.

"While it's true that I can fight…creatures, with physical weapons, I believe my most powerful weapon is my mind. I can take in knowledge and be able to pass it along to whatever students will come to your school. I want to be in a position to study and learn from the tragedies that have happened in our history so that those events will not be repeated," Oobleck rambled on. His voice brewed with a passion that made Ozpin stop thinking about everything else and completely focus on Oobleck.

"Sure I can study and learn without having to be a Huntsman, but there's nothing else in this world I would rather be," Oobleck finished. For a short while the only sound in the air was running water from a nearby fountain. Oobleck had rendered Oz speechless. He knew exactly what to say and where his motivations lied, and Ozpin found it honorable and intriguing.

"Should I repeat all of that, because it doesn't look like you caught all of it," Oobleck finally said, shattering the silence.

Ozpin shook his head. "No, I caught all of that. Thank you, Oobleck. That was quite an eye-opener."

"My pleasure Ozpin. I'm just telling the truth."

"Good. I'm going home now, go rest and we'll meet together again in the morning," Ozpin said. By the time Oobleck remembered that he was supposed to ask Oz why he wanted to be a Huntsman, he was already gone.

Ozpin woke up when he heard something that sounded like someone was moving quickly away. He noticed that the door to the room was slightly open, which wasn't right because the door had been clicked shut when he went to bed. Curious now, he sat up and touched his bare feet to the floor. He looked behind him at Theodora sleeping peacefully on the other side of the bed. Ozpin believed Theodora was very beautiful, but there was something about how she looked while she slept that felt strangely off. Her expression looked conflicted.

When he stepped out of the room he saw Glynda's bedroom door shut. Oz groaned and went to the door and softly knocked on it.

"Glynda?" He whispered. Glynda opened the door.

"Can I talk to you?" She asked before Oz could get another word out.

"Um, yes of course," Ozpin said with a nervous half-smile. Ozpin and Glynda slowly and carefully walked through the living room where Oz's father Haman slept on the couch with a bottle of brandy still in his hand. Without giving it a second thought, Oz stopped to take the bottle and slowly dump the rest of the contents onto Haman's lap. Haman didn't even so much as stir. When Oz looked at Glynda, he noticed she was giving him a disapproving stare.

They walked out onto the balcony and shut the door behind them together. Normally the howl of a Beowolf could be heard in the night, but there was nothing this time. The air was perfectly still. There wasn't even a breeze.

"I wanted to talk to you, but I decided I didn't want to wake you up when I saw my sister with you," Glynda commented. Oz felt his cheeks grow hot.

"That was probably for the best. But you woke me up anyway, so what is it?" Oz asked, irritation leaking into his tone.

"I don't like this. Where this is all going I mean."

"Be more specific Glynda," Ozpin pushed.

"I—I miss when it was just the two of us. I miss coming into your room and waking you up so that we can go to the temple. We called it our happy place," Glynda said.

"I remember Glynda, it wasn't that long ago," Ozpin replied. Why was Glynda talking about this? Where was she going with this?

"But we don't do that anymore. Now you're with Theodora and I feel left out. You don't talk to me anymore except to lecture me, and in fact you grew distant after I discovered my Semblance. When I lived with my parents, they taught Theodora how to unlock her Semblance but not me. You gave me something that my parents never did," Glynda explained.

"You have no idea how special you are to me Glynda, you have to know that," Ozpin said.

"You're possessive. You told James not to invite me to go with him to Atlas, but now you barely talk to me. You've grown obsessed with the idea of destroying Collus," Glynda pointed out. A fire sparked in Oz's eyes.

"There's a good reason for wanting to destroy him. He uses Dust to create weapons that hurts innocent people. I can't let him keep doing that."

"He's _your _responsibility to take down?" Glynda asked. Ozpin threw up his arms in a kindling rage.

"He is!"

Pain clouded Glynda's eyes behind the glasses James had given her. Was there any way that she would be able to get back the Ozpin she knew? There had to be something. Then she thought of something that could possibly help. A memory. One of her favorite ones. She took a step closer to Ozpin, wanting so badly to reach out and touch him but decided against it.

"Remember two years ago when my birthday was coming up? I didn't tell you that because you were still getting over your mother's passing and Theodora told you it was coming. Remember when I came into your room the night before my birthday to ask you if we can go to our 'happy place' and when we got there you had a cake there for me?"

Ozpin's expression begin to soften and his eyes made it clear that he was thinking about that. Glynda felt hope flicker on and she kept going.

"You didn't even invite Theodora to join us, it was just—just the two of us. Celebrating the mere fact that I exist. It was the first time you smiled in weeks," Glynda said. As she told the story, she could see the wall Oz had built between them crumble and waver a bit. Glynda started to believe that she was getting her point across through the story to Oz.

"I remember making the wrong kind of cake. You hate coconut," Ozpin said. Tears rose in Glynda's eyes.

"Yes, yes that's right, but I didn't care. You were beating yourself up over it but I was laughing. We still ate it together," she said. Ozpin let loose a small smile, but it transitioned back to a frown.

"Things are different now Glynda. I'm sorry if you can't accept that," he said. Though he sounded regretful, his tone was also final.

"You need to push yourself more during training. I want you to be part of this team, but I need you to be capable of what I expect from you," Ozpin insisted. The real Ozpin was gone again now, replaced by a revenge-driven, angry tutor. Glynda felt herself grow numb from grief and she watched her best friend walk back into the house, leaving her alone on the balcony to cry. In the distance, the Beowolves started howling.

Jasper studied the data on two screens with his hands clasped behind him. His shirt was off, showcasing the long, wicked scars on his back from the lashes in the mines. Half of his face was burned from the explosion in _The Witch's Apple_.

Several Faunus stood behind him waiting, one of them looking like he was nauseous, as if he was expecting something terrible to happen. Another one of them was the Faunus that was with Jasper when he woke up to discover his new cybernetic legs. His animal feature, which was a dog's tail, had been cut off while he was a slave in the mines.

"When I was a young cub, my father broke the news to me that when I was born, I had no Semblance. Everyone eventually gets to unlock his own Semblance, but I had nothing," Jasper explained.

"Tragic backstory," one of the Faunus commented. Jasper slammed his fist down on the operating table in front of him and the others in the room froze deathly still.

"There are other ways to achieve a power just as great as a Huntsman or Huntress, and that is what we are discovering today," he said. He turned and the group of Faunus fidgeted altogether.

"Now, let's begin the procedure. Time is of the essence," Jasper announced. He sat down in the chair in the center of the room and rested his head back.

"Sir, the procedure should be done with you put under," the Faunus that was with Jasper earlier said.

"Do what has to be done Mr. Taurus," Jasper replied. His features twisted to appear almost demented. Taurus shuddered and motioned to the others to start. Once a drug was injected into Jasper to put him to sleep, the group went to work. Taurus was handed an injector that contained a microchip, which had been stolen from the Schnee Dust company.

"These chips are in the experiment process, we don't know if it will work," one of the Faunus warned.

"I know the stakes doctor," Taurus insisted, "and so does he."

The other Faunus stepped back as Taurus stuck the injector into the side of Jasper's head, then pulled the trigger. The chip imbedded itself into Jasper. Visible bolts of electricity exploded through Jasper's head and his entire body convulsed several times. A weak scream protruded from Jasper's lips and his arms flailed. Taurus took a step back to avoid Jasper's swings. Finally, after ten long excruciating seconds of convulsing, Jasper's body stopped and stayed still.

"Let's wake him up," Taurus said. Taking a cloth sprinkled with a strong powder, Taurus pressed it against Jasper's sweating forehead. Jasper's eyes flew open as if he was waking up from a nightmare. Jasper immediately sat up and put his head in his hands.

"It's alright sir, the procedure went according to plan," Taurus assured him, but he made sure to stay a few steps away from him just in case. Jasper lifted his head from his hands and looked at him with a hopeful grin.

"It's in?"

"It's in."

Jasper looked away and stared straight ahead. "I can feel it Taurus. All of it. The power."

Taurus nodded but his insides sank in dread. He feared what Jasper was capable of.

**AN: The next chapter is going to be-can't give anything away! I wish I could at least drop a hint.**


	9. Alliance

**AN: Here's the next chapter! It'll feel a little odd at first because I'm introducing a brand new character through the first half, who happens to be a huge favorite of mine now. I hope you guys like this character as much as I do. Read on!**

*When the Lioness wasn't getting her body sold to the highest bidder, she was reading in her hotel room. She had the book _Violet's Garden _open to the last two pages before going back to start at the beginning. She liked to know the ending in order to know what kind of story she was getting into.

She was on the next-to-last sentence of the book when there was a soft knock on her door. The Lioness shut her eyes and sighed.

"It's unlocked," she called out. The door opened to reveal her only friend Auburn, a Faunus with a panther's ears. He wore round glasses and carried a nervous smile and a long dress with him

"I picked this out for you myself and your boss approved it," he announced.

"Stop it Auburn, your smile is going to make my heart stop," the Lioness remarked, shutting her book after reading the last sentence. Auburn carefully laid the dress out on her bed.

"You're meeting with a potential client in fifteen minutes and you're spread out reading again," Auburn commented.

"You should know me by now Auburn, I don't give people my best."

Auburn snorted and shook his head. "Just get dressed."

The Lioness looked down at the dress and the evening gloves with it and shot them a dirty look, which she was able to do in a unique way because of her resemblance of a lion. Her lion's nose twitched in revulsion. She hated wearing dresses.

Her real name had been buried in the back of her mind where she couldn't reach. Her nickname 'the Lioness' had actually been given to her by a past client of whose foot she crushed with one of her high-heels. If someone was treating her beyond what she signed up for, the Lioness would crush his foot. The nickname stuck and that was the name she signed on any agreement papers. The last six bosses she had never got to know her real name. Even Auburn didn't know it. Most bosses she had referred to her as 'animal' or 'mutt' anyway, including her official owner Collus Torchwick, who got her through a trade with the Schnee Dust company. With all the trouble she caused, she wondered why Collus didn't send her back, but Roman said it was because when Collus made a trade, a deal was a deal. He didn't want his reputation hurt.

It was hard to be a Faunus. Especially a seventeen-year old female Faunus.

One of her former clients got the Lioness pregnant, and she never got to see her baby daughter beyond the day she was born. She tried desperately to find things to be grateful for or thankful about. The hotels she got to stay at were nice. Though he wasn't really a _friend _per se, Theodora had Roman Torchwick's private number, which he graciously gave her in case she needed something and his father refused to provide it. And though he annoyed her, Auburn was a good friend. He genuinely cared about her and never once tried pushing her into any kind of relationship she wouldn't want with him. She enjoyed giving him a hard time, but it wasn't because she disliked him. She felt it was one of the key elements to stay human. Only thing is, she's not human, so when others talk about the qualities that make people 'human', how is it for Faunus?

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she reached down to pick up the dress. It was a purple one-piece sheath dress. Though she hated wearing dresses, she loved how she was always required to wear a sleeveless one. She loved the freedom her arms had if she needed to slap somebody.

"Turn around," the Lioness said to Auburn. Auburn rolled his eyes but he relented and turned around so that his back was facing her.

"Have you been paying attention to the news at all? Vale was hit hard by Faunus terrorists. I'd like to know what pushed those Faunus to do that," Auburn said.

"Don't talk, I'm trying to concentrate," the Lioness shot. In truth, she just didn't want to talk about the Faunus terrorists. They had declared themselves as a 'new' White Fang. But the Lioness knew what the _real _White Fang was. She paused for a second to reach behind her and feel the spot on her upper back that bore the tattoo of the White Fang's emblem, which was the head of a wolf dog in a blue circle. She wasn't part of the White Fang, but she got the tattoo so that perhaps one day she could join them and the tattoo would be a symbol of her loyalty to them.

She finished changing and ran her hands down the front of her dress to smooth it out while wearing the purple evening gloves that came with the dress.

"Alright, it's safe to look," she said. Auburn turned around and his eyes widened and his panther ears perked up.

"I know this won't make a difference in how you feel, but I think you look exquisite in that dress," he complimented.

"You're right, it doesn't make a difference," the Lioness said with her hands on her hips.

"Don't forget your high-heels," Auburn commented.

"Ah, my favorite part of dress-up." She wasn't joking about that.

The Lioness slipped her feet into her high-heels and took a few practice steps. She hated wearing high-heels, but she loved what she can do to people's feet with them.

"Let's get this over with," she remarked.

"That's the spirit," Auburn said.

The Lioness and Auburn went down to the first floor and entered the restaurant and cantina connected to the hotel where they would find the Lioness's next potential client. The place was dim, and the lights were a pure white that would slowly transition to a crimson red and then back to white.

_What was it with Vale and its obsession with the same colors_?

The Lioness always had Auburn scan the place for the would-be client. The Lioness liked to get as few looks at her client as possible.

"Got him," Auburn finally said. The Lioness looked in the direction Auburn was pointing and spotted her client. She groaned when she got a good look at his appearance. He was a young but rich-looking man wearing a white dress shirt with a black vest over the top, a red tie, and black dress pants. He had long hair that was neatly combed. Impatient gray eyes blinked as the man glanced at his watch.

_Fancy_. _Way too fancy_.

The Lioness apparently was making too many disgusted sounds, because Auburn shot her a warning glance.

"Please do me a favor and don't stomp on this one's foot. Collus would not be pleased," he said. The Lioness didn't answer. She touched a passing waitress to stop her.

"Can you bring me a glass of champagne, the strongest kind you have?" she asked. The waitress eyed her in confusion.

"You look underaged," she said.

"I work for Collus, I should have my rights," she hissed. The waitress fidgeted and nodded.

"Of course, I'll bring our finest," she promised and hurried off before the Lioness could do anything else. The Lioness then took a deep breath and walked over to the client's table.

"Hi, I'm the Lioness," she said reaching her hand out. The man glanced up and took her hand to shake it.

"Hei Xiong, it is a pleasure to meet you," he said.

"Not likewise," the Lioness muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing. Let's get on to business," the Lioness said, sitting down across from him. She stole a glance at Auburn, who was shaking his head in his hands. He must've heard her comment. Go figure, he had four ears. She felt around a little bit and couldn't help but allow a small grin to slip when she was able to feel the tips of Hei's feet. Just in case. Her stiletto heels were sharp enough to pierce through Hei's shoes.

"I don't like long meetings, so we should keep this brief," she remarked. Hei's eyes brightened.

"Ah, I like that. Straight to the point," he said. "I think you'll find my own place to be fairly comfortable. You'll be expected to follow any of my orders or my father's, and anything we don't tell you to do directly will be written down on a list first thing every morning."

"So the position is 'maid' then," the Lioness said.

"That's right."

"And what about a room? Is there an empty room for me?" The Lioness asked.

"You won't need that."

"Why not?"

"I am graciously allowing you to be in _my _room," Hei explained with a mischievous grin. Everything came to a dead standstill and the two of them didn't say a word for several seconds. The Lioness positioned her feet underneath the table.

"That wasn't at all in the agreement I was given about you," she pointed out.

"Exceptions can be made. The way I see it, once you sign the papers, you're my property," Hei replied.

"Your drink, ma'm," the waitress said. The Lioness reached up and took her glass without looking at the waitress.

"I only do what the contract states," the Lioness said. A lion-like growl began to rise up through her throat.

"That's not how it works young lady. I can have a chat with your boss and make revisions. You have no say in the matter," Hei insisted.

That did it.

The Lioness stomped her stiletto heels onto Hei's feet. Hei let loose a painful cry that drew everyone else's attention around them. The Lioness kept her feet on his own and took a long sip from her glass. She could already feel the alcohol surging through her system.

"You humans are all the same. Greedy, lustful, and selfish," she said. Hei yelped as the Lioness's feet bit further through.

"It was the humans that whisked me away from my parents while we were living on the street. Your kind took from them the very last thing they had that they held dear. It was the humans that got me pregnant and then took my daughter away from me," the Lioness claimed.

"Listen you furball, I'm going to call your boss and you'll be sorry for this," Hei groaned. The Lioness laughed, making Hei shiver, which she loved to see.

"Collus knows that I'm dangerous. That's one of the reasons why he's desperate to sell me to someone who will keep me, but guess what?" The Lioness leaned forward, putting even more force through Hei's feet.

"No one can tame me," she hissed.

"Over here!" A voice yelled. The Lioness turned to see several men filing into the restaurant holding long scarlet swords. They each wore black suits with matching hats and boots, with red ties and sunglasses.

"Do something!" Hei yelled. The Lioness grinned and lifted her feet up from Hei, who released a relieved groan.

One of the men came at the Lioness with his scarlet sword. The Lioness tipped her chair back with the rim of her champagne glass in her mouth as she drank the last drops. Immediately after landing, she leaped up onto her feet and threw her empty glass. The glass flew into the man's face and shattered, tossing him to the floor in a crumpled heap. Another henchman lashed out at the Lioness swinging his red sword at the Lioness's midsection. She grabbed her fallen chair and raised it up so that the blade cut through two of the legs. The legs fell to the floor and the Lioness swung the chair at the henchman, throwing him into a booth against the wall.

"What am I paying you for?" Hei shouted.

"You don't pay us at all sir," one of the henchmen pointed out. But the rest of the henchmen each took turns trying to take down the Lioness, who was ready for all of them. She snatched up the two chair legs and struck the next incoming man in the chest and tripped him by swinging one of them across his legs. Delivering a final kick to knock him out cold, the Lioness continued on to the next henchman and delivered a swing that smashed his glasses. She finished him off with an elbow to the side of the head.

There were two more henchmen left. One of them held an automatic rifle and when he saw that the Lioness was coming for him, he pulled the trigger. Dozens of bullets lit up the room more and the Lioness could hear tables crumbling and silverware flying as the bullets found random places behind her. She leaped up onto one of the tables that was in her way, then leaped again with the chair legs in her hands raised to strike.

One bullet found her upper thigh.

The Lioness cried out and a fire erupted inside her leg when her feet landed on the ground. She stumbled forward trying to keep herself up but she failed and fell on her face, still clutching the chair legs.

"Finally. I'm going to need more men," the Lioness heard Hei say.

_Where's Auburn?_

The Lioness felt rough hands grab her legs to start dragging her away. Pain like being licked by flames coursed through her wounded leg. She could feel the blood sticking her skin to the floor.

_This can't be happening._

_What about my daughter? She has to see me someday. She has to_…

A cry of pain that didn't come from her burst above her and she heard a body hit the floor. There were several gunshots, another cry of pain, and the sound of another body falling over. She heard someone smash a window.

When she uncovered her eyes and looked up, she saw Auburn standing in the middle of the mess. He had a weak, pained smile.

"Hei got away," he said. He attempted to get to the Lioness, but his footing betrayed him and he fell forward onto his hands and knees.

"Auburn, what's wrong?" The Lioness asked. Then she saw the string of blood coming from her friend's chest.

"No. No no no," she said. She pushed herself to crawl over to him as he finished his fall onto his back. She looked down at the bloodstain on Auburn's shirt that was growing bigger.

"Don't do this to me. You're all I have," the Lioness pleaded. It was true. Auburn was all she had for as long as she could remember.

"You're so stupid Lioness," Auburn remarked, but his eyes said he was just giving her a hard time. How dare he? At this moment when his life was draining away!

"Oh yeah? Well, you're even stupider, and I already thought you were pretty stupid," the Lioness replied between tears.

"I know. I am pretty stupid. Go. Get that wound healed and find your daughter," Auburn said. He opened his mouth as if to say something else, but all the color left his face and his eyes stopped blinking.

The Lioness got herself onto her feet as best as she could and limped over to the shattered window. She had to get out before the police arrived. The pain. The pain in her leg was so bad. She needed to see a doctor. A Faunus doctor.

She looked back at the body of Auburn before leaving.

"The dress is beautiful, Auburn. Thank you."

_I'm so sorry_.**

*Across the street from where the Lioness was limping away from the hotel and cantina, the noise inside Collus' night club was louder and wilder than ever. Almost everyone was having fun, but that didn't include Collus Torchwick.

"Didn't I hear that you stole a red cabbage from Port's Cabbage Shop?" A customer would ask him every five minutes. No one had really asked him that until after Port died during the Faunus terrorist attack. Some of the customers were also trying to get a closer look at the disco ball above them to see if there was anything hidden inside it.

At least Roman was nowhere to be seen. Good riddance to him.

Despite those feelings though, Collus couldn't help but feel a tug of guilt for leaving his son out during the Faunus attack.

_Claudia would not have approved that_.

Claudia was Roman's mother, and Collus' dead wife. Collus took a swig of ale as if the one gulp would expel unwanted thoughts of Claudia. It didn't work.

_Ah well, it was worth a try_.

He tried to be the best husband he could be. He was sure of that. Best father? He wasn't sure of that. He left his son out after all. His grief for the loss of Claudia punished Roman.

Collus didn't even so much as twitch when customers started to panic around him and scurry further to the back of the club. He must be getting drunk. That was the only possible explanation for the fact that he didn't budge when the leader of the Faunus attack from the other day stepped up to the counter accompanied by several other Faunus armed with automatic rifles.

"Collus Torchwick," Jasper said.

"I thought Ozpin killed you," Collus said with no shock in his voice. He was really out of it.

"It takes a lot more than what Ozpin has to kill me, I am more powerful—."

"Security, drag him and his friends out," Collus called out in a drunken slur. When several security guards came towards Jasper with their rifles, Jasper raised an eyebrow, and the rifles flew out of their hands. They drifted in the air with the barrels aimed directly at the guards' heads.

"Boss? Help," one of them squeaked. One rifle went off and the guard crumpled to the floor. Collus then noticed something glowing behind the skin of Jasper's forehead. That got his attention. He put his bottle of ale down.

"You have one of the Schnee Dust company's newest chips," he said. Jasper nodded.

"I was the one that gave them the blueprints for it. It was a trade for a young Faunus slave," Collus explained.

"Yes. I want to make an offer to you, human. You help me kill Ozpin and his friends, and I will not kill you when the rest of the human race is enslaved," Jasper said. Collus gulped. He eyed the rifles that were still drifting in the air aimed at his men.

"That is a good offer. I'm always up for a good trade," he said.

"Ozpin did this to me," Jasper said, pointing out his cybernetic legs. They made an ominous whirring sound as they moved.

"He lied about even knowing me, after being kind to me," he continued.

"Ouch," Collus commented.

"And I know what he did to wrong _you _Collus. If he thinks he can frame you for one crime, what makes you think he won't decide to do it again? He may put you in prison next time for a crime you did not commit," Jasper said. Collus thought about that. He remembered one of the last things that Ozpin had told him after the cabbage incident.

_You haven't seen the last of me_.

He had lost men thanks to Ozpin, and then Ozpin mistreated Jasper, which had pushed him to take drastic measures. People had died because of Oz. There was no doubt about it. Ozpin was dangerous.

"Do we have a deal? Have I convinced you enough?" Jasper asked. He leaned forward and put his hands on the counter. As carefully as he could, Collus reached for two glasses and poured the remaining ale he had from the bottle into them.

"Let's drink on this," he said. Jasper grinned and took up the glass that Collus pushed towards him and downed it in one gulp through yellowed, disjointed teeth. The other Faunus behind him hooted and cheered for him. Collus raised his own glass to his lips with a shaky hand. He was happy to help Jasper deal with Ozpin. After humiliating him with the cabbage and interrupting his search for crystals in the Emerald Forest, he realized it was time for payback. Forget Roman.

Forget Claudia.

"Where would we find Ozpin?" Collus asked.

Jasper grinned. "I know where. I followed him there once."**

**AN: As a fun fact, Hei Xiong is Junior from the Yellow Trailer and an episode of Volume 2 in RWBY. Hei is his real name according to the RWBY wiki.**


	10. Revenge

**AN: Hey guys! I'm so excited for you guys to read this chapter. This chapter is a real game-changer!**

_*Yes. Yes_.

Ozpin couldn't believe his eyes. He, Peter, Glynda, Oobleck, and Theodora were all sitting together at a table set up in a large rectangular room inside the temple. A flight of stairs on one side of the room led up to a balcony. Everything that Oz was hoping for was now coming together. It was two weeks after Glynda took him down a little bit of memory lane, an event that he honestly tried not to think about too much.

Oobleck dropped his dice immediately after scooping them up. Both of them turned up with twos.

"Four again," he announced. He took a quick drink of coffee from his mug and heavily sighed.

"Looks like your Nevermore is turning on you and I have the advantage in my hands," Glynda said with a gleeful smile.

"Now see here young lady…"

"My turn. Resourceful Raider," Glynda said, putting down one of the cards she had in her hands.

"My beautiful fleet," Theodora playfully whined as she slid her Atlas Air Fleet card over to Glynda. Glynda snatched it up.

"Thank you sister. Things are looking up," she said. Ozpin stole a glance at Peter, the only one in the group who wasn't playing the game. He had his nose stuck in a comic issue of _X-Ray and Vav_.

"I never actually knew you were a comic book reader," Oz said.

"It's sort of a new habit I picked up. I want to be celebrated as a hero, remember? So I try to gather as much inspiration as possible," Peter replied. Ozpin briefly thought about the fact that X-Ray and Vav were really only hero wannabes that couldn't get almost _anything _done right when trying to save the world. He had a bad feeling that Peter was trying to get inspired by bad role models.

Ozpin looked at Theodora who was engaged in the game. It was then at this moment that he knew what he wanted to do. He took up his glass and stood up.

"May I have your attention for a moment?" He asked. Everyone stopped and looked up at him. Oobleck foolishly put his cards down face-up.

"I have an announcement. First off, I must thank you for all of your perseverance and dedication to becoming the best Huntsmen and Huntresses this world has seen. One day very soon now, we will be professors running a new academy for people who want to make a difference in the world. All of you must pat yourselves on the back," Ozpin started. Oobleck patted himself on the back. Oz mentally pinched himself for dragging this out. It was time to cut to the chase.

"Second off, the real reason why I interrupted this game was because after much thought and consideration, I have decided who will have the position of assistant Headmaster for the new academy," Ozpin said. Everyone was deathly silent, holding their breath for the reveal. Ozpin looked at Theodora and raised his glass to her.

"Theodora Goodwitch. I have chosen _her_," he announced. Theodora gasped and her hands started to tremble.

"Me?" She asked as if Oz had to say it again. Ozpin just simply grinned and wordlessly nodded. Theodora looked down at the board game set out on the table. Her jaw was slack and her eyes were wider than Oz had ever seen them.

"I don't know if I—I mean, it's an honor but—," she stuttered.

"The position is yours Theodora, and I won't take 'no' for an answer," Ozpin gently insisted.

"Congratulations, sister," Glynda said, though she herself looked shocked. She was trying to put on her best proud smile. Oobleck and Port looked neutral. They didn't look proud of her but they didn't look like they were jealous either. This was not the turnout Oz was hoping for.

Then they all heard clapping, and they turned to see Ozpin's father Haman standing in the doorway. Oz noticed that he was still wearing the pants he had dumped brandy on.

"Yes. Congratulations, Theodora," he said. Oz felt his grip on his glass tighten.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Why would I miss out on this? I've been raising Theodora for three years, I deserve to see her succeed in life," Haman said. Oz threw his glass across the room at the wall, watching it shatter to pieces.

"You've done _nothing _to take care of Theodora or Glynda!" He yelled.

"Theodora listens to me. Isn't that right my dear?" Haman asked, glancing at Theodora, who was shrinking back to get closer to Oz's side.

"Haman please, don't do this," she said. Oz raised an eyebrow. What was going on?

"Tell him Theodora. Tell him all about our plan. I'm sure he'd absolutely _love _to hear it," Haman encouraged. Ozpin looked his father up and down to try and spot any clues that he was drunk, but surprisingly he looked more somber than he had seen him in a long time. He turned to Theodora.

"What is he talking about?" He asked. Tears surfaced and Theodora pinched the skin between her eyes.

"I meant to tell you," she said.

Frustration rose in Ozpin and his fingers began to curl.

"How about you tell me now," he suggested. Theodora looked up at him. A scarlet hue was swallowing her face.

"I've been working for him. He's the one that really wants Collus dead. I've been helping him because I know that you want Collus destroyed too, so I thought—I thought that if I did what he said and helped him, I would win your approval," she confessed.

"Tell him about the red cabbage too," Haman added. That got Peter's full attention.

"What does he mean by that?" Peter asked. Theodora didn't even look at Peter. She was as still as a statue where she was.

"_I_ was the one that stole the red cabbage, not Collus. Your father wanted to hurt his reputation first and humiliate him," Theodora confessed. Oz felt an overwhelming string of emotions that he couldn't tame. Anger and disgust bounced around his head so fast and hard it was difficult to pin either one down.

_This can't be happening_. _This can't be happening_.

"Theodora…," Glynda started. She couldn't say anything else. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Why are you making me tell them these things _now_? Our mission isn't complete," Theodora screamed at Haman.

"Because I know that it wouldn't matter. I know my son will destroy Collus anyway. He'll do the job for both of us," Haman replied.

The air was silent. No one spoke. Anger and the feeling of being betrayed infected the room. Finally, Ozpin spoke up.

"I trusted you," he said to Theodora.

"But isn't what I did something that you want anyway?" Theodora pointed out. Before Ozpin could answer, an explosion tossed Oz off his feet. Ozpin felt his face smack the floor. He felt his nose burst.

There were screams and smoke and coughing. Ozpin heard his own coughs as he lifted his head off the floor and looked behind him. A gigantic hole had been made in the wall. Tiny fires danced in random places around Oz.

"Theodora!" Oz shouted. Why was she his first concern? She had been deceiving him all this time.

"How sweet. I guess she will be the first to die," a voice said. Oz's heart fell through his stomach when he recognized that voice.

It was Jasper.

He saw Jasper standing in the hole with a small group of his followers accompanying him, including a human. Collus Torchwick.

Glynda scrambled to her feet, but before she could do anything, she was lifted up by an invisible force and pulled towards Jasper. Jasper struck her across the head, knocking her out cold.

"No!" Ozpin screamed. He tried hard to get up but his legs wouldn't work. They refused to respond to his mental commands.

"Sister!" Ozpin heard Theodora shout. Theodora suddenly popped up right in front of Jasper, having used her Semblance to teleport herself. She raised her sword up, but with a flick of Jasper's hand, the sword was pulled straight up with Theodora still clutching it and she was raised up off her feet.

All Ozpin was capable of doing was watching.

As Theodora, without any control over it, thrust the sword through her chest.

Her eyes widened in pain and her jaw fell. With a dismissing wave of Jasper's hand, Theodora's body dropped to the floor with the sword pulled out of her chest, still clutched in her hand. The bright light on the tip of the blade flickered and then completely went out.

By the time Ozpin had gotten himself onto his knees, Oobleck and Peter were on the ground with rifles drifting in the air with the barrels aimed at their heads.

Where was Haman?

As Glynda, Oobleck, and Peter were getting led away through the hole and outside into the night, Jasper turned to face Ozpin.

"You brought this on yourself," he said.

"Jasper—please, I'm sorry," Ozpin begged.

"Sorry isn't good enough. You're dangerous," Jasper insisted. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin, which Oz recognized as the one he had given to Jasper about a month ago when he saw him alone in the streets.

"You treat someone like he's something very special one minute, and then the next minute he's _nothing _to you," Jasper said. He threw the coin at Oz and it bounced several times before settling down on the floor right by his foot.

"Jasper—." It was too late. Jasper turned his back on Oz and followed the others out of the hole. Ozpin was too late to stop them as they boarded a ship outside and took off.

All gone. Everyone was gone.

Ozpin finally managed to stand up. A lava-hot pain spiraled up his leg. He needed something to hold him up and support him. He stumbled over to Theodora's body and fell down on his knees.

"Theodora," he whispered through his tears. Theodora's eyes opened and blinked several times and glanced at Oz.

"Ozpin…"

"You have to hang in there, Theodora. Use your Aura," Oz pleaded.

"I can't…I can't…I'm too weak," she groaned. Ozpin took her trembling hand that wasn't holding her sword and held on.

"Left pocket. Take my scroll," Theodora begged. Her voice was so quiet, Oz had to strain to hear her. Oz reached into her left pocket like she said and pulled out her scroll.

"Last journal entry," Theodora managed to say. Then she lifted her sword-hand as best as she could.

"Give this to Glynda," she said.

"Don't say that Theodora, you'll make it, don't say that," Ozpin demanded, but he took the sword anyway. Tears spilled down and stained Theodora's gorgeous scarlet dress. Theodora opened her mouth, trying desperately to say something else, but she was too weak to form words. Finally, she let loose one last breath and the hand that Oz held grew cold. She was gone.

This can't be real. It can't be. It's an illusion. A horrible dream.

But Ozpin looked at his hand stained with crimson and his fingers felt the blood. It was all too real.

"I'm so sorry, Theodora," he said. He bent down and kissed Theodora on the lips. He hoped that if there was an afterlife, Theodora would somehow feel that.

He stood up holding Theodora's sword and looked around at the mess. Tables and chairs were littered everywhere and some of the windows were shattered. Then he saw his father unconscious in the hallway.

"Father? Dad?" Ozpin called out as he ran to check on him. Haman was lying on his stomach. Oz turned him over and saw the massive bump on his father's head.**

*In the business district of Vale, the cars on the street made way for the incoming ambulance where Haman was on a stretcher with Ozpin by his side looking down at him the entire time. Ozpin was trapped inside his head, having very little awareness of the world around him. He unlocked a memory in the back of his mind, one that happened just a few days before his mother passed away.**

_*Ozpin lay awake in bed listening to his father yell at someone he was talking to on his scroll_.

"_My wife is in bed sick and close to death because you were careless_!" _He screamed. There were several seconds of silence before Haman started ranting again._

"_I trusted you_. _That explosion not only possibly cost my wife's life, but the lives of every employee in the area_!"

_The explosion was the result of a bad mixture of Dust, which Collus had requested himself, gone wrong in an attempt to create a chemical to fuel a new line of weapons. It wasn't the explosion that cost lives_, _it was the infected Dust that got released into the air from it.**_

*Ozpin knew who Haman was talking to. His mother worked for Collus. She was a scientist who specialized in mixing different kinds of Dust to create chemicals for just about anything that needed power. Collus didn't bother to pay her much for the work, but it was enough to put food on the table.

Ozpin never wanted to believe that he and his father were alike in any way but it was obvious they did have something in common. They both wanted revenge.

Then he remembered Theodora's scroll. He took it out of his pocket, opened it up and looked for her last journal entry. It was an audio entry, which meant he had to listen to her voice. The thought pained him now that she was gone.

Without hesitating, he pressed the 'play' button and listened, even after the doctors got his father out of the ambulance. He followed the doctors into the hospital and let the audio run.

"_Journal entry number thirty-three_. _I don't think I've felt so confused in my life until now_. _I thought I knew exactly what I was doing and where I was going_. _I felt that if I obeyed Ozpin's father and helped him kill Collus, I can win Ozpin's approval, and his love_. _I've felt so alone ever since Oz took me and my sister in_, _because Ozpin immediately befriended Glynda and I was just sort of left hanging_…"

Ozpin felt his eyes grow hot and warm tears leak out. He half-consciously sat in a chair in the waiting room. He was the only one there. Good. He didn't want anyone else to hear this.

"_Now I've become part of a team that's working hard to establish an academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses, and Ozpin loves me_. _All I had to do to win him was tell him that _I _would take care of Collus_, _and it was enough_. _The problem is_, _I don't feel like I deserve him_. _I've been deceiving him all this time_. _My love for him is real_, _but I was the one that stole the cabbage_, _and I'm trying to fulfill his quest for revenge for him with his father_…"

There it was. The word 'revenge'.

"_If I kill Collus, it won't be because that's what his father wants_. _It'll be because that's what Ozpin wants_. _But I'm having second thoughts now_. _I don't want our child to think that that's how we get back at people who've hurt us_…"

Child? Did Theodora just say '_our child'_?

"_Several weeks after I was included in the team_, _I found out I was pregnant_. _I haven't told Oz yet, but I'll talk to him about it_, _and hopefully he'll agree to naming our child Beacon_, _which is the name of my mother's sword_."

Ozpin leaned forward with bulging eyes, and sweat and tears wet his face. He stared at the sword which was resting beside him.

The light that shined at the tip of the blade when Theodora was using her Aura through it made sense now.

"_I'm hoping for the best, and I'm hoping to make the right decision_. _End journal entry_."

When nothing but silence followed after the recording, Oz realized that this was the first time in a very long time that he felt truly alone.

Haman was going to be fine. He was brought to the hospital because of a mild concussion. He'll live. His friends however might not if he didn't do something. Knowing what he had to do, Oz stood up and grabbed Beacon. It was time to pay Collus' son Roman a visit.**


	11. The Team

**AN: Sorry this took so long. My life has been very busy lately, so I slacked off a bit. I'll be honest, I'm a little bit torn on this chapter, so some good feedback would be very helpful in case I need to make some changes.**

"Welcome to Grandma Wolf's Bakery, may I help you?" Roman Torchwick asked.

"A baker's dozen will do please, thank you," Hei Xiong replied. Roman looked down at Hei's feet, which had thick bandages wrapped around them.

"Yes sir, coming right up sir," Roman said. Working at the _Grandma Wolf's Bakery _wasn't so bad. After the attack on Vale by the Faunus terrorists, Roman was left to fend for himself. Theodora had disappeared and his father Collus never spoke to him again after deciding to leave him out of the night club. Without a job or even a home that he knew he can go to, Roman took the first job that he can get. He just wished he was allowed to wear his own hat with the red band instead of a paper hat with the name of the bakery on it.

His goal to destroy his father had never changed. He just knew that he wasn't strong enough to take on his father alone yet. That's why he thought Theodora would be a useful tool in getting there, but without Theodora, he was left with few other options.

Roman handed the donuts over to Hei and watched him limp away. Roman smirked. Was Hei by any chance a victim of the Lioness' high-heels? That would make a lot of sense. Next in line was a tall young man right around his age with silvering hair and a green scarf around his neck. He also wore tiny glasses that he consistently adjusted.

"Roman Torchwick," the man said. Roman frowned.

"Can I help you?"

"I am Ozpin. And yes, I need your help," Oz said.**

*Despite what the manager would think, Roman bolted through the kitchen and leaped through the back door to run between buildings down the alley. He ran as fast as his legs could possibly carry him.

Then his foot got caught on something and he tripped forward onto his stomach. He flipped himself around and looked up at Ozpin who was holding a long cane.

"I'm not here to hurt you," Oz insisted.

"What do you want from me? Money? My father has all of that!" Roman insisted. Oz shook his head.

"Your father has my friends. He's working with the leader of the Faunus terrorists," he said.

Roman raised an eyebrow. "I thought the leader was killed. By you."

"He survived, and he's more powerful than ever. They have my friends," Ozpin said.

"Where's Theodora?" Roman asked.

Shock passed through Oz's expression. "You know her?"

"She was trying to help me take down my father, but she left me a long time ago and I haven't seen her again since."

Grief strangled Oz's eyes. "Theodora is dead. The terrorist leader killed her with Collus there."

Despite his disdain towards Theodora, shock at her death shook Roman up a bit.

"I don't know what your father is planning to do with my friends, but I need to get them back and I—I can't do it alone," Ozpin said. When Roman got to digest this, his gaze fell and his shoulders rocked as he chuckled.

"You're so naive," he said.

"What?"

"I mean—I can't believe that you're so easily willing to trust _me_," Roman pointed out. Oz kept his stance with both hands on his cane as if he was an older man.

"I have to. I know that you hold a grudge towards your father and so do I. I want him taken down too," he said. Roman finally got himself up and dusted himself off. He got a cigar out from his breast pocket, retrieved his lighter, and lit the cigar.

"This will be a one-time thing," he said.

Oz smirked. "That's all I ask. Is there anyone else you know that can help us?"

Roman barely had to think about it. "I know someone."

The back door to the bakery flew open, revealing Roman's angry manager, an overweight bald man wearing a black business suit.

"Torchwick! It's not your break time yet! You're finished! You hear me!?" He screamed.

"It's okay, I quit," Roman replied without taking the cigar out of his mouth.

The manager frowned and confusion marred his expression. "You—?"

"And lose some pounds will you?" Roman mocked.

"Let's go," Ozpin urged, and the two of them set off, leaving a very confused and offended manager behind.**

*The white lights blinded Glynda when the bag was yanked off her head. She blinked several times and water poured from her eyes. She watched as Peter and Oobleck had their bags taken off and they blinked to adjust to the light too.

When Glynda's vision cleared, she saw Collus and someone else she didn't really know standing together in front of her with their hands clasped behind their backs. They were in a room that was the shape of a perfect circle with a dome in the center and a control panel built beside it. The floor and the walls were a pure white that somehow lit the room. There was no other visible source of light.

"Well good morning," the man next to Roman said. Glynda realized that the man was a Faunus. Then she recognized him as the Faunus terrorist leader from a couple weeks ago.

"I apologize for you having to get mixed up in my grand master plan but Ozpin can be blamed for that," the Faunus said. What was his name? Glynda was trying to remember his name. Then…

"_What's your name_?" Ozpin had asked when a Faunus followed him to the temple.

"_Jasper_," the Faunus replied.

The Faunus that had followed Ozpin to the temple to thank him for his kindness was the same Faunus that stood in front of her now.

"I thought Ozpin was kind to you," Glynda said.

"Oh he was for a little while, but one day he said that he didn't even know me. He casted me aside as if I was nothing. I'm surprised he hasn't already done the same to you my dear," Jasper replied.

Glynda couldn't deny that Ozpin had been slowly going down a path where their friendship was growing less significant and where he was growing more distant. But Glynda had faith in him. She knew he was a good man.

She knew that Ozpin was going to come save her and the others. It was only a matter of time.

Then it hit her. Where's Theodora?

"Where's my sister?" Glynda asked out loud.

"Your sister? Oh, you mean the one that I had killed with her own sword? Yeah, that was unfortunate," Jasper replied.

"_No_!" Glynda screamed. She struggled to get her wrists out of the metal cuffs behind her, but the metal only bit into her skin and wouldn't budge.

"Yes, it was a tragedy for sure, but Ozpin had that coming to him," Jasper replied, his voice still extraordinarily calm.

Grief and dread that Glynda hadn't felt since her parents' death took her in a strangle hold.**

*It didn't take much convincing to get the Lioness on their side. After Roman explained to her that Collus was working with a Faunus terrorist, that was all it took for the Lioness to agree, even though she would be helping humans.

"I'm going to want something in return for this," she pointed out to Ozpin.

Oz flashed a winning grin. "Don't worry, you won't regret this."

"So what's the plan?" The Lioness asked. The three of them stood around a table inside the temple with a map of Collus' facility which was located in the forest of Forever Falls. Using his cane as a pointer to guide the others through, Roman gave them the information they needed.

"My father uses this facility in Forever Falls to create some of his personal weapons, the ones that he doesn't let anyone else in on," he said.

"Are there any current projects he's working on?" Oz asked.

"I've never seen it myself, but I've heard him talk about making a machine that can copy someone's Semblance _and _Aura into a syringe. It's an attempt to make anyone's Semblance accessible to anyone else," Roman explained.**

*"You all should feel honored," Collus announced as he stepped aside to show off the dome.

"This baby here is my latest in a line that will extract one's Semblance and Aura and be able to transmit it over to someone else. More power to all who wants it," Collus said.

"And that's what we're all doing to you. Each of you will get your Semblance transmitted into this machine here. Unfortunately, since you can't live without your Aura, I'm afraid you may not survive the procedure," Jasper explained.

Glynda could feel fear trying to shove her down.

_Where are you Ozpin_?**

*"How many entrances into the building?" Oz asked, studying the map as closely as he could.

"Every entrance is guarded by at least two of my father's hired boys. Going through any entrance requires an ID confirming our association with my father," Roman replied.

"That is something I have," the Lioness confirmed.

"My father probably erased me from all of his security passes, but as far as I know, the Lioness here should be able to get through with no problem," Roman said.

"What happens then? How will you and me get in without alerting Jasper and Collus?" Oz asked.**

*The Lioness rode her motorcycle through the red leaves that completely covered the ground in the forest of Forever Falls. Her coal-black helmet shadowed her eyes. She was stopped at the gate in front of the facility by two guards and one of Jasper's followers.

"ID please," one of the guards ordered. The Lioness sighed but pulled out her ID that stated her ownership to Collus.

"Alright, everything checks out. Go on ahead," the guard said with an approving nod. Then he smiled.

"Maybe if you're planning on staying a while, you can spend some of that time with me," he teased.

"Oh Snick, you flatter me," the Lioness said placing a hand over her heart.

"Yeah I'm good at that," Snick said with a wink. The Lioness then wanted so badly to claw the man's face but managed to hold herself back. She couldn't screw this up.

"See you never again," she commented as she continued on through the gate.

"Wait, what?" Snick asked behind her. The Lioness parked her motorcycle and was allowed through the front doors.

"_Once she's in_, _she'll trigger an alarm in the furnace room that will alert all guards to the large storage room near the back of the building_. _Any remaining guards left at the front can be easily dealt with and me and you can get through the front doors using one of the fallen guards' pass cards_," Roman had explained during the rundown of the plan.

"_Understood_," Ozpin replied.

The Lioness subtly made her way towards the furnace room, making sure to give out a friendly smile to any guard or Faunus thug that walked by her.**

*"Let me ask you all a question," Jasper said, stepping up to Glynda. Glynda tried to look away from Jasper, but he took hold of her chin and turned her face so that she was forced to look into his eyes.

"Why do you all follow Ozpin so faithfully? What has he ever done to deserve good friends?" He asked.

Glynda blinked to keep tears back. "He is a good man."

"Do you really think so? Do you not for a second believe that he will one day let you down? He let _me _down," Jasper said.

"He made a mistake. People make mistakes. He didn't force you to be this way. That was _your _decision," Glynda replied, venom leaking in her tone. Jasper let go of her chin and she looked away again. She could feel the heat of Jasper's breath on her cheek.

"You know, I may hate humans, but I still find human women attractive," Jasper said.

"Jasper, let's focus on what's important here," Collus cut in.

"But if you don't have the same feelings for me, then I guess it's too late for you. Pity," Jasper continued. He finally stepped back away from Glynda.

"Put her in the dome. She's first," Jasper ordered with a pinch of regret in his voice.

Glynda felt her fear reignite stronger this time when two of Jasper's followers grabbed her shoulders and pushed her towards the dome's platform onto a small circle in the center where her feet would be magnetized to keep her still.**

*"_Why can't we do one of those tricks where you two act as cargo to be delivered into the building by me_?" The Lioness had asked.

Ozpin and Roman looked at each other and nodded.

"_Nah, that's been overdone. Our way is better_," Ozpin had said.

"_I agree, we're better than that_," Roman said.**

*The Lioness finally found the furnace room with the power switches and the control panel that could set off any alarm in the building. The Lioness sat in front of the panel and located the button that would set off the alarm in the storage room Roman talked about.

The Lioness pressed the button. She heard the alarm for the room go off.**

*Ozpin and Roman waited outside for the signal, which would be a blaring alarm, so there was no way they were going to miss it.

"So why do you hate my father?" Roman asked while they hid in a thicket of scarlet bushes. Oz blinked several times and adjusted his position with his cane in one hand.

"He was responsible for the death of my mother, and he mines Dust to create dangerous weapons," he replied. He turned to face Roman.

"Why do _you _hate him?" He asked. Roman reached up for his hat and nervously adjusted it, trying to keep his visibly trembling hand steady.

"He doesn't care about me, or anyone else. He left me outside when Jasper and the Faunus terrorists attacked Vale," he answered.

Before Oz could say another word, the alarm went off. Dozens of Faunus and humans standing around outside the facility turned around and ran to get in the facility and investigate.

"And that's our queue," Ozpin said. He leaped up from his hiding place in the bushes while Roman followed suit. They charged towards the entrance. Roman used his cane to blast any remaining humans and Faunus waiting outside for orders. They were easy to take out. They had no idea Oz and Roman were coming.**

*Everybody stopped moving when the alarm went off. Jasper looked up and around as if he was trying to see something.

Despite the circumstances, Glynda couldn't help but smile.

"It's about time, Oz," she whispered.

"How could he have found us so quickly?" Jasper demanded, whirling to face Collus. Realization dawned on Collus, and he squeezed his fists.

"Roman," he hissed.

"It doesn't matter. Lock all exists down and order your men to regroup here in this room! If we're going to have guests, we should give them a welcome party," Jasper said.

Collus nodded and barked orders over his scroll.

"It's over Jasper. You know you can't defeat Ozpin," Glynda said.

_Yes it's pointless to say that, but it's better than saying nothing at all_.

"I will _this _time, and you're going to help me my dear," Jasper insisted. He raised his eyebrows, and Glynda felt her feet leave the floor and felt her whole body get pulled forward towards Jasper. She struggled to break the bond that kept her in a strangle hold, but there was nothing she was able to do. Jasper kept her suspended in the air beside him.

"Stop, don't!" Peter exclaimed.

"Peter, don't. He won't listen," Glynda insisted.

Jasper chuckled. "You know my style. You're learning."

"Let her go Jasper," Oz's voice demanded. Glynda couldn't move her head up to look at Ozpin, but she knew that he was here. Most of Collus' men and Jasper's followers had come into the room to confront Oz and Roman. Jasper looked up to see Ozpin standing on the boardwalk above them. He was staring down at everyone with his cane in his hand.

"You're more compassionate than I thought Ozpin. That won't save you or your friends I'm afraid," Jasper said.

"I wish you were better than this," Oz replied.

"I'm a better person than you, Ozpin. I'm a good person, unlike you," Jasper claimed. Oz leaned forward a little more so that he was gripping the railing.

"You're not a good person, Jasper. You can try to convince yourself all you want that you are, but you're only lying to yourself," he said in a grave tone.

Jasper's entire body trembled. His face turned a deadly scarlet, and he jerked his hand. Oobleck's neck snapped and he fell limp to the ground.

"_Oobleck_!" Glynda screamed.

Ozpin leaped off the boardwalk, taking one of Collus' men down as he landed on the man's back, pinning him to the ground. Jasper took a nervous step back and he lost his telekinetic grip on Glynda. Oz twirled his cane as several gunshots made their way towards him. The bullets bounced off his cane and ricocheted in random directions. One bullet smashed into a Faunus' chest. Seeing the Faunus die made the flames rise higher in Jasper's heart.

"Hold your fire!" Jasper ordered.

"Do as he says," Collus chimed in. The guns stopped. Everyone watched closely as Oz knelt down beside Oobleck, grabbed his neck and snapped it back into the right place. Oobleck's eyes opened and he was immediately alive again.

"Oh my, I must've died for a few minutes there," he whined as he got back onto his feet.

"What the—?" Jasper stuttered. His jaw dropped. He had no words.

"Don't you ever mess with my team—my _friends_—ever again," Ozpin demanded. Anger blossomed in him. He no longer felt pity towards Jasper. Jasper had done more than enough to lose that sympathy. He had to be destroyed, no question about it.

"We're more powerful than you, as evidenced by what you just saw. You have a chance right here and now to surrender and you will be brought to trial," Oz said.

"_Never! _I'm going to lead my people against all of you, and you will all die realizing that you should've never treated us the way you've treated us!" Jasper screamed. He turned to his followers and Collus' men.

"Aim your weapons at them!" He ordered. Everyone trained their weapons on Ozpin, Oobleck, and Peter. Oz couldn't help but grin.

"Glynda," he said. Glynda, still lying on the floor, looked at him.

"Remember what I told you about dancing?" He asked. It took a few seconds for it to dawn on Glynda, but when it did, she leaped up onto her feet, grabbed both of Jasper's hands, and forced him into a dance. She eventually let go of one of his hands and used his other hand to twirl him in a full circle. Then she pulled him towards her and stomped her foot down hard on Jasper's foot.

Oz winced and partially shut his eyes in response to hearing Jasper's cry of pain and seeing Glynda's foot on Jasper's. Glynda shoved him hard, knocking him into Collus.

"Open fire!" Jasper screamed as he disentangled himself from Collus.

Glynda leaped her way over to Oz, Oobleck, and Peter who all had their weapons out, deflecting gunfire and striking down anyone that got close to them.

"Here, take it. You'll need it," Ozpin said next to her, and she glanced at him to see him holding out her mother's sword to her. She had no time to argue or try to refuse it. She took it with both hands, a newfound confidence surged through her.

Ozpin bashed the butt of his cane down on the head of an incoming Faunus that tried coming at him with a knife, then whirled around and parried a deadly move from a man's sword. He swung his cane down to trip the man and knock him out cold by striking the cane across his head once the man was down.

One Faunus ran forward with a rocket launcher in his hand, knelt, and fired off a single rocket. Glynda spotted the rocket, broke her way through the team, and raised her open hand in the air. The rocket stopped in its trail and floated in the air in front of Glynda's face.

"Hmm," Glynda muttered. Ozpin watched on with a bubbling excitement rising in him.

"Good job, Glynda," he complimented. Glynda heard his compliment and shot him a 'I-knew-I-could-do-it' look. Collus' men and the Faunus stopped for a second as Glynda used her other hand to make a motion as if she was throwing something, and the rocket went hurtling back towards the Faunus with the launcher. The rocket hit the ground near the Faunus' feet and exploded, tossing the Faunus and several other men standing nearby in random directions.

"Gotchya," Glynda said.

Then she felt a blow to the side of her head, knocking her aside. Razors of pain cut deep through her head. She rolled and then leaped back onto her feet to face her attacker. It was Collus. He pulled one side of his coat open to reveal a rod inside.

"First you, then I'll take care of Ozpin," he declared. He removed the staff from his coat which at first was just a short rod with a button on its side in the middle. He pressed the button and the rod transformed into a longsword with spikes on the sides that curved up into sharp edges.

For a brief moment, Glynda wished that her mother's sword Beacon could transform into something. Both blades came crashing together as Collus swung in an attempt to hack her torso. The swords then disconnected and Collus went for Glynda's legs, but she leaped up and backwards, landing gracefully on her feet and charged after him, swinging a straight arc over Collus' ducked head.

Glynda was undecided whether or not what she was about to do was an unfair advantage, but she raised her hand up and telekinetically pulled Collus up off his feet.

She tried to focus, harder than she has focused in a long time. She thought about Collus using his own hand to bring his sword towards his neck. She saw it happen right in front of her now. One of the spikes drifted just several inches from his neck. His eyes widened and appeared terrified.**

*With the amount of enemies decreasing quickly, Ozpin had time to stop and watch Glynda, who had Collus at her own mercy.

"Come on now, kill me. I know that's what your boyfriend wants," Collus mocked. Oz watched Glynda stare at Collus long and hard. She was deep in thought, and Oz knew she had reached a decision by the look on her face before she spoke again.

"I'm not going to kill you. You're just going to be brought to trial," she said. Ozpin frowned for a moment. He came all this way to the fortress to finish Collus off. That had been his objective for a long time. Now Glynda was actually making the decision for him.

"Glynda, what are you doing?" He asked. Glynda didn't look over her shoulder at him.

"It's the right way to deal with him, Ozpin," she replied.

"Despite what he was going to do to you?"

"Forgive and forget, Oz. That's _my_ own lesson to _you_," Glynda said. She then released her invisible hold on Collus. He fell onto his knees, and Glynda leaped and kicked him across the head, hard enough to knock him out cold.

In that moment, Glynda had proven herself stronger than Ozpin himself. The love he had for Glynda not too long ago resurfaced. He was proud of her. She was a better fighter and had a better spirit than he ever would.

_I'm sorry I couldn't be more, Glynda_.

Ozpin turned to Oobleck and Peter. "Get Collus out of here, I'll deal with Jasper," he ordered.

"Of course, mister Ozpin," Oobleck answered. He unnaturally bolted over to Collus' body while Peter tried to keep up with him. Oz parried a man's attempt at stabbing his shoulder with a long scarlet sword and delivered a hard kick to his head. The man fell with a busted nose. Ozpin looked around and realized that all of Collus' men and Jasper's followers had been taken care of. The only one left was Jasper, who tilted his head side to side to let his neck pop.

"Go. This one's mine," Ozpin said to the others.

"I'm staying with you. I won't take 'no' for an answer," Glynda replied. Her response reminded Oz of what he said regarding Theodora's unfulfilled promotion offer. Oz wasn't going to argue. He failed to kill Jasper last time he did it alone. He knew he needed help this time.

Oobleck and Peter left with Collus without saying another word. They were going to do their part. Now it was time for Oz to do _his _part.

"I'll never forgive you for what you did to me. You know that, right?" Jasper asked. Ozpin removed a round sphere from his pocket and pressed the button on the top. Two blades popped out of both sides, one was red and one was blue, and a handle positioned itself comfortably around the hand that was clutching the sphere.

"Then it's fruitless to keep talking," Oz said. Without saying anything more, he launched himself at Jasper.**


	12. No Other Way

**AN: Well guys, just one more chapter after this one! Thank you guys so much for your positive feedback on the previous chapter, I was a little torn on that one, and to be honest I'm a little torn on this one too. But you can't deny 'dat ending' to this one :)**

*The Lioness stuck her head out to peak into the hallway. The sirens were still going, but she didn't see anyone passing by. Ozpin and his friends had the guards and Jasper and Collus busy.

The Lioness took a second to think about how grateful she was that Ozpin pretended he didn't know her in front of Roman when she agreed to help him.

A plasma blast flew past the Lioness' head and exploded against the wall right by the door. The Lioness' heart blew and she leaped back, landing on all fours like a cat. A deep growl emanated from her throat. She heard laughter.

Roman Torchwick's laughter.

"I know you're in there furball. You can't hide from me," he said.

"Why are you attacking me? I thought you were helping us," the Lioness shouted in reply.

"After what happened today with you helping us with the break-in, my father would kill you if he survives. Come with me though, and I'll sell you to a good owner," Roman said. He finally stepped into the Lioness' view in front of her with a grin that showed off his white teeth. He leaned on his cane as if he was posing.

Roman attempted to strike the Lioness upside the head with his cane, but the Lioness leaped backwards and presented two long daggers from her belt. One of the daggers had its tip broken off.

"I don't 'belong' to anyone," she said.

"Alright. The hard way it is then," Roman said with a regretful shrug. The Lioness lashed out first.**

*Ozpin's red blade stabbed empty air as Jasper moved aside away from the sword's path. Glynda took her turn to take on Jasper, swinging Beacon to take off Jasper's head, but Jasper ducked and rolled away. He stood straight up and took in all the scattered guns lying around him. Motioning his hands up, the guns drifted up, their barrels aimed at Ozpin and Glynda.

Oz looked at Glynda and nodded.

When all the guns went off in unison, Ozpin's double-sword and Beacon turned into overwhelming blurs of red, blue, and silver, deflecting bullets in all directions. One grazed Jasper's shoulder. Jasper grunted, but kept his telekinetic hold on the guns. When they all ran out of ammo, He dropped the guns to the floor and telekinetically called two scarlet swords into his hands. With a feral grin, he launched himself off his feet towards Ozpin with one of the blades aimed to slice Oz's head from the top down. Oz bent over a bit, and felt Glynda land her feet on his back and then leap up to catch Jasper. Beacon clashed with Jasper's second sword several times, and for a few seconds, Jasper and Glynda fought in the air, using their own power to keep themselves hovering.

"You can't win Jasper, but you can change your mind," Glynda pleaded. Jasper twirled his swords so that the blades faced downwards and he slid them into empty sheaths clipped to his belt, and he grabbed Glynda's shoulders and bashed his head against Glynda's.

Glynda cried out in pain and fell down onto her back. Ozpin wasted no time in running after Jasper and attempting to cut his torso with his double-sword. Jasper unsheathed one of his swords and parried Oz's attacks.

"It's not your turn to die yet Ozpin. Your girl goes first," he mocked.

"Not happening. It's over Jasper," Ozpin replied.

"See what was destroyed? We could've been good friends," Jasper pointed out. He bashed his foot against Oz's knee. Ozpin groaned and stumbled. Jasper attempted a swing at Oz's neck. Glynda used Beacon to block the swing from cutting off her friend's head.

"Enough of this," Jasper declared. He threw his hands out and Ozpin and Glynda were tossed like dolls away from him. Ozpin felt his head collide with the wall and he slumped to the floor. Scarlet lights danced around his vision and he felt something wet on the back of his head.

"Come on, get up," Glynda urged, grabbing his arm to help him up. Ozpin gazed up at her.

_I'm so sorry Glynda_. _I'm so so sorry_.

"I have an idea, but we need to keep fighting okay?" Glynda pleaded. Ozpin clasped Glynda's waiting hand and allowed her to help him back onto his feet. Then Glynda took the opportunity to steal a short kiss on his lips.

"You'll know what to do when the time is right," she said. Oz barely heard her, given what she just did.

"Oh will you please pay attention? It was just a kiss," Glynda insisted. Oz shook himself out of his daze.

"Right, let's do this."**

*The Lioness stabbed one dagger forward over Roman's cane so that its tip was just several inches away from his neck. She stabbed the other dagger forward, the broken one, in an attempt to get through the other side of his neck. Failing to stab flesh, she pulled back and shut her eyes tight.

"What the—?" Roman stuttered. The Lioness opened her eyes. A copy of her stood on both sides of her, with daggers of their own, except all their daggers were broken at the tip. Their eyes reflected the weight of the pain the Lioness felt every single day.

"Those can't be real," Roman said.

"Oh they are," the Lioness turned to her clones, "get him."

The two Lioness clones ran at Roman with their shattered daggers, attempting to slice skin with the jagged and broken sides. Roman desperately parried their attacks with his cane and managed to knock a dagger from one of the clones.

The clone cried out in agony as if he had maimed her instead and she threw her other dagger. It just barely missed Roman as it spun past his neck and sank itself into the wall behind him by the door. Roman seized the opportunity to smash the bottom of his cane up the clone's chin, shattering her jawbone.

Both the real Lioness and her last clone came at Roman and the three of them transitioned into a dance together.

Parry, swing, parry, swing.

Roman finally had an opening and got the top of his cane around the clone's neck and pulled her forward with one hand. The clone's neck snapped and her body fell limp to the floor.

"You're going to need more backup," Roman pointed out, kicking the dead clone in its side as the body faded away.**

*Oobleck and Peter dragged Collus' body along the floor as they tried to find a way out since all the exits were sealed. They could find the controls to open the doors back up, but a small group of Faunus and humans were chasing after them armed with swords and rifles. That made things a bit more complicated.

Oobleck made sure to fire off a few rounds of his long gun at the group coming after them.

"There has to be _something_!" Oobleck yelled.

"Maybe if we're lucky, the next door I kick open will have something to get out of here!" Peter replied. He was dragging Collus around by holding onto his legs while Oobleck provided cover fire. Several gunshots soared over Peter's head and scored the wall next to him. He turned to the next door and kicked it open. One of the hinges on the door snapped.

"Excellent strength," Oobleck said.

"It comes from chopping cabbages all day," Peter replied. Oobleck questioned the validity of that claim for several seconds before realizing that the Faunus and men were catching up. Oobleck and Peter looked inside the room and spotted lockers lined up against the wall on the other side of the room. Guns and swords were hung and displayed everywhere else.

"An armory," Oobleck realized aloud.

"And our way out," Peter commented.

"What do you mean?" Oobleck asked.

"These lockers are rocket-propelled. Get in," Peter said motioning to one of them.

"We fly in something that isn't even meant for people to fly in," Oobleck said.

"That's right. Now hurry!" Peter urged. Oobleck groaned and helped Peter shove Collus into one of the lockers, then proceeded to get in themselves. Oobleck was thin, so it wasn't a problem, but Peter was a bigger young man. He reached out and punched in a six-digit code in the controls that would take them to Vale.

"In here!" A Faunus yelled. The locker door sealed itself shut and Oobleck felt his heart drop down his throat as the locker rocketed up and crashed through the roof of the facility.**

*"You know, I hate my father but I hate you more. I guess I get my carelessness for other people from him," Roman said as he and the Lioness circled each other in the control room.

"Why do you hate me Roman? You were different. You helped me out when I asked for it," the Lioness pointed out.

"And that was my problem," Roman said, aiming the bottom of the cane at the Lioness, "I have no obligation to help you animals."

Roman fired off another round of plasma at the Lioness. The Lioness leaped over the blast as it exploded on the spot where she had just been standing. She fell on all fours and ran at Roman, tackling him down. With a pained grunt, Roman hit his head on the floor and his hat fell off. The Lioness raised her hand to tear across Roman's throat.

Roman screamed when long nails cut flesh. Before the Lioness could use her other hand to cut him, Roman reached up and grabbed her wrist and cried out from the fiery pain in his throat as he pulled her off of him and onto the floor right next to him.

Roman scrambled to his feet, clutching the deep cuts, watching the blood seep from between his fingers. The Lioness raised her legs up in the air and leaped up to land on her feet. Roman shot at the Lioness several times, but she managed to dodge all of the blasts as she ran, leaped, and connected her foot with Roman's chest hard enough to send him flying out of the control room. With the daggers back in her hands, she followed him out the door.

Roman was already running away, firing his cane at a window ahead of them. Plasma blasts exploded against the window and shattered the glass. Realizing what Roman was going to do, the Lioness stopped in her tracks, flipped one of the daggers over so that she was clutching the blade and threw it like a boomerang at Roman.

Roman used his cane to bat the dagger away as he ran and threw himself out the window. When the Lioness got to the window and looked out, she saw a truck speeding away from the clearing and into the thick of the forest. The orange hair of the driver gave Roman away.**

*Jasper's leg brushed over Ozpin's head as Oz ducked to avoid a kick. Pressing one of the buttons on the hilt, one of the blades on Ozpin's sword slid back in.

"Bad idea," Jasper teased. He pressed his attacks, turning his scarlet swords into almost a blur that Oz had a hard time following.

Parry, swing, parry, dodge, kick, parry, dodge.

Any more of this and Ozpin felt he was going to sink into a defeated exhaustion. He could hear Glynda grunting and breathing heavily as she too continued to block Jasper's attacks.

This was exactly what Glynda had been training for.

Then he noticed something different about Glynda. She appeared to be trying to concentrate. Hard. Even Jasper hesitated to continue his advances when Glynda purposely dropped her sword and shut her eyes.

_Inside Glynda's head, she embraced her Aura, allowing herself to drown in it until she couldn't drown any deeper. The nightmares that kept her awake at night faded away and the grief for her sister's death and the deaths of her parents winked out_. _There was nothing left but her and her Aura, her precious precious Aura that Ozpin helped her hone_. _Now it was time to put that power she had inside her into effect_…

Ozpin watched a white light start to emanate from Glynda's entire body. She opened her eyes and grinned.

She was summoning the full extent of her Aura. Ozpin shut his eyes himself while Jasper demanded to know what was going on.

_There's nothing but me and my Aura, there's nothing but me and my Aura_.

Ozpin felt a blade pierce his throat and its tip protruded out from his back. He didn't feel any pain. He opened his eyes and looked down at the scarlet blade held by Jasper. Oz took hold of the blade and pulled it out of him. Jasper staggered backwards with an expression of terror.

"How—?" He stuttered.

"Come at us. We're not going to fight back," Ozpin said, gesturing to himself and Glynda. The two of them stood close together, embraced in the powerful light of their Aura. Driven by the obsession to kill, Jasper came at them with a deep roar and slashed his swords across Ozpin's torso, then Glynda's, but nothing happened. No marks or cuts. The blades didn't even rip through their shirts. Jasper tried several more times to slice them with his swords by cutting across legs, necks, and stomachs. Nothing. No damage at all.

Desperate to hurt them, Jasper dropped his swords and invaded Oz and Glynda with his fists. Oz held himself back as he watched Jasper pummel Glynda's face over and over again, but Glynda barely flinched from the attacks. She kept her footing and allowed Jasper to rain the blows.

"_What is this_?" Jasper screamed. He stepped back and looked between Glynda and Ozpin.

"Why can't I hurt you?"

"Salutations!" A voice shouted behind Jasper. Jasper whirled around to face a young girl with with short curly orange hair, and she wore a pink bow on the back of her head. She appeared to look like a normal girl except for the fact that she had a glowing green collar around her neck and her eyes glowed scarlet.

"What is _this_?" Jasper demanded. The girl raised her arm and her wrist opened up to reveal a missile launcher inside. She fired a missile. Jasper's eyes shot up wide in surprise, and he rolled out of the way of the missile.

"My name is Penny, it's a pleasure to meet you," the girl said.

"What _is _this actually?" Glynda asked.

Oz grinned. "Our backup."

The girl Penny moved so that she stood in front of Jasper and that Collus' machine was right behind Jasper.

Glynda raised her hands and unleashed a blast of purple energy, which absorbed Jasper and carried him onto the circle platform.

"Activate the dome Ozpin," a voice said behind Ozpin. Penny stepped onto the platform with Jasper.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Ozpin asked, approaching the control panel.

"Activate the dome," the voice ordered again. With a weary sigh, Oz pressed the button and the glass dome swallowed up Jasper and Penny.

"Jasper is very powerful Oz, you must trust me on this," James Ironwood said behind him standing on the boardwalk overlooking the room.

"What's going on? What are you doing?" Jasper asked inside the dome. Fear and rage distorted his face.

"Now rework the controls so that—so that Jasper's Aura is transmitted to Penny," James commanded.

Ozpin looked down at the camera screen in the control panel that analyzed Penny and Jasper. Finding the correct options on another screen, he set it so that Jasper's Aura would be transmitted to the other person within the dome. Penny.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Glynda asked beside him. Oz shut his eyes. He couldn't look at Jasper. He just couldn't. He could hear Jasper starting to bang on the glass to break out.

"Do it. Do it now," James urged.

Ozpin looked at Jasper one last time. He was staring at him with pleading eyes, but he knew that it was a tactic to gain remorse, then he would kill Oz and his friends the second he turns his back. Jasper had killed Theodora, and he knew that Jasper would have no problem killing Glynda and anyone else that he cared about. There was no stopping him without killing him.

"You brought this on yourself," Ozpin finally said, and with that, he flipped the switch that would transmit Jasper's Aura over to Penny.

"I'm combat re—," Penny was interrupted when the inside of the dome lit up, and Jasper was brought to his knees. Trails of white spiraled out of his eyes, his ears, his nose, and his mouth. He screamed to the point of sounding like a tortured bird.

Finally, the light went out and Jasper fell onto his side, his eyes rolled back and unblinking.

Ozpin deactivated the dome and Penny stepped out, marveling at her hands as if they were the most beautiful things she had ever seen.**

*James watched Penny walk up the ramp into his ship.

"So where's Darcy?" Ozpin asked.

"Inside Penny. I implanted her memories and personality into the body. That's Project Penny you were seeing," James explained.

"So. She has Jasper's Aura now," Ozpin said. A hint of sadness flitted across his eyes as he remembered the Faunus' death.

"Yes. The first synthetic being capable of generating an Aura, just like I always planned. Collus created exactly what I needed in order to make it possible," he replied with pride in his tone.

"James, thank you for coming when I called," Ozpin said. He had called James right before he, Roman, and the Lioness set out on their plan to save Oz's friends and defeat Collus and Jasper.

"It's no problem, Ozpin. I'm glad to see things are working out for you."

Another thought came to Oz's mind. He had sent Glynda to meet up with Peter and Oobleck.

"Um, aren't you going to say goodbye to Glynda first?" Ozpin asked. James raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

"We already said our goodbyes a little over a month ago. We don't need to say goodbye again. Besides, I saw her kiss you," he replied. Oz's cheeks burned at hearing that confession but decided it was best to not say anything more about it.

Ozpin then wished James luck and watched him take off in his ship away from Vale once more.

Now it was time to tie up some loose ends.**

**AN: One more chapter now. -Sniffles-**


	13. Beacon

**AN: This is it! No further comment except please leave feedback! What do you think of this ending?**

*A young man with silvering hair and tear stains on his cheeks slipped a small coin underneath Jasper's hands which were resting on his chest. The young man kissed two of his trembling fingers and used them to close Jasper's eyelids. Another tear fell down his cheek. Glynda had closed Theodora's eyelids during her burial. Now it was time for Oz to do it to someone else. Someone that he could've helped.

"Rest in peace, Jasper," Ozpin whispered. He then stepped back to allow two grave diggers from Atlas to close up the casket and set it in the ground in Forever Falls. As everyone attending the burial began to walk away, Ozpin stayed where he was, with Glynda standing next to him. Both Theodora and Jasper had been buried next to each other, even though Oz felt like Theodora deserved to be buried somewhere where she could rest alone.

Glynda stayed at Oz's side. "I'm sorry, Ozpin," she said.

The tears came in torrents now, threatening to break Ozpin down. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you what I did to Jasper. I feel like this is all my fault. I could've helped—I could've helped him. I lied that I even knew him when he needed someone to stand up for him. It was all my—fault," Ozpin said. Glynda put a soft hand on his shoulder and turned him around so that he was facing her, looking into her beautiful green eyes.

"It's alright. Like I told Jasper, you made a mistake. It was his choice to become the monster that he became."

"I'm sorry for the way I acted when we were all training."

"It's alright."

"I'm sorry that—."

Glynda put her hand over Oz's mouth. "It's. Alright. You did good Ozpin. I'll miss my sister terribly, but it's not your fault she's dead."

Ozpin couldn't hold back any longer. He threw his arms around Glynda and sobbed into her shoulder. Glynda put her own arms around him and held him close. The words Ozpin heard in his dream from a month ago came trailing back to him.

_Red like roses fills my dreams and brings me to the place you rest_

Here he stood surrounded by red leaves everywhere in front of the graves of Theodora and Jasper. Two people had died, not just one, and he stood in a scarlet landscape where two people that had become such big parts of his life recently rested.**

*Ozpin sat beside his father's bed in the hospital. Haman had his arm in a cast and his eyes were bloodshot and heavy.

"Theodora?" He asked.

"She's gone, Dad. It wasn't your fault," Oz said, echoing Glynda's words.

"It sure feels like it is."

"I understand why you were doing what you were trying to do," Ozpin said.

"I miss her so much Ozpin. I miss your mother so much," Haman said, the beginning of a tear rising in his eye. Ozpin placed a comforting hand on his father's hand.

"I miss her too Dad. I've made mistakes too, and there's nothing I can do to undo them. Just rest now, okay?" He asked.

Haman sniffed. "Rest. Yeah. I'll try to do that."**

*Glynda walked into her bedroom back home to find a notebook sitting on the foot of her bed open to a page with only word written on it. When she got closer, she realized that the word was her name. She recognized it as Oobleck's handwriting.

"_I plan to ask each one of us here why they want to be a Huntsman or Huntress_," Glynda remembered Oobleck saying. She remembered how her answer was that she didn't know why she wanted to be a Huntress.

Sitting next to the notebook was a pen. She picked it up and rested the tip on the paper underneath her name. She started writing. She wanted to be a Huntress because the world needed one, even if it was just one. She couldn't continue to sit back and watch the world suffer from the creatures of Grimm preying on people and the Faunus terrorists resorting to unnecessary bloodshed. She felt the urge to make a change, and side with Ozpin to accept people from any and all walks of life so that they can train and become Huntsmen and Huntresses themselves.

But she was also decided on being a Huntress because that was what her sister wanted to be, and she would keep her mother's sword Beacon in memory of Theodora. Theodora would've wanted Glynda to pursue this, and Glynda had no objection to this. She proudly set the pen down when she finished and took the notebook out of her room, intending to give it back to Oobleck with the joy in finally having an answer to his complex question.**

*Collus sat down on his bed in his jail cell. He wore a prisoner's set of orange clothes, his eyes dark and brooding in the dim light.

In the eerie silence, ominous laughter cut through and chilled Collus' spine. He stood up and whirled around to face his son Roman watching him through the cell window.

"This place really suits you father. You should've been put in here a long time ago," he said.

"What do you think you'd gain by coming here to gloat?" Collus demanded. Roman chuckled.

"Because I don't have to worry about you anymore. Your club is now mine to do what I please. Your Faunus slave didn't press charges against me, so they handed the ownership over to me," Roman explained.

"You'd make a terrible manager," Collus said.

Roman nodded. "You're right father, which is why I'm not keeping it. I think I'll give it to someone like Hei."

"Leave me," Collus hissed.

"Why? I wouldn't miss this for the world," Roman replied, but he turned around and started walking away anyway. He laughed as he left, leaving Collus alone shivering in his cell as he dropped his head on his pillow.**

*Ozpin stood on the stage in the temple looking down at Oobleck, Peter, and Glynda. This was it. It was time to enact what Oz had been dreaming about for so long.

"I am happy to announce today that this place is now a home for young people that want to be trained to become Huntsmen and Huntresses. We know the world needs more of those, and it's our responsibility to gift the world with just that. That being said, this academy will be named Beacon, as a symbol to people from all walks of life that they can come and learn without fear of discrimination and rejection. As we continue training a little while longer before we accept our first population of students, remember to train yourselves and each other to take on the responsibility you have been given," Ozpin said.

He held back from saying something else that he wanted to save for a special time later.**

*The sun was setting, painting the sky in peach. The Lioness stood a few feet away from the entrance of the abandoned temple, which was now Ozpin's academy. She felt her fingers brush across her daggers.

"So, what's the verdict?" Ozpin asked her as he stepped up to stand next to her.

"The idea of joining your academy is too easy to pass on. I'm in," the Lioness answered. She folded her ams.

"I know its been rough for you for a long time. I hope your stay here will help you," Ozpin said.

"Yeah. I just hope Qrow doesn't show up in the flesh any time soon," the Lioness remarked.

"Don't worry. He's busy starting his own academy. He's naming it Signal."

The Lioness raised an eyebrow. She liked the name. It had a nice ring to it.

"I just hope you can forgive Qrow some day. The three of us got along so well together before you were taken away from your family," Ozpin pointed out.

"We'll see," the Lioness said. She breathed a long and heavy sigh, allowing herself to embrace the cool air embracing her face. She still didn't even look at Oz.

"This will be a good place for me to be while I look for my daughter," she said.

It was Ozpin's turn now to raise an eyebrow. "Your daughter? What's her name?"

The Lioness didn't answer for what felt like an eternity. "Blake. Blake Belladonna."

"Signal," Ozpin said. The Lioness reacted to her real name being spoken and finally turned to look at Oz.

"You'll find her," Ozpin assured her. Signal knew that Oz was only saying that to make her feel better, even though there was no guarantee she would actually succeed. But despite that, she felt better from Oz's words.**

*Ozpin was still awake when Glynda came into his room and stared down at him.

"Nightmare?" Oz asked.

Glynda nodded. "Some things just never change I guess."

"No, I guess they don't," Ozpin replied with a shrug. He got out of bed and followed Glynda. They made their way up to Beacon Academy and walked into the usual large room with the stage. Ozpin was surprised to see a small coconut cake sitting on the stage.

"I know your birthday is three weeks away, but I couldn't wait any longer," Glynda said. She started walking towards the cake to cut it.

"Glynda," Oz said. Glynda stopped and turned to face her mentor and best friend.

"I was saving this for a time when we're alone. I am appointing you to be assistant Headmaster at Beacon Academy," Oz announced. Glynda gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. Her gorgeous eyes widened.

"Professor Ozpin—," she started.

Ozpin walked up to Glynda and locked his lips against Glynda's, deep and sweet. The two of them were content where they were. They didn't want to leave. They didn't want to separate. They were a team, and nothing was going to change that. The two started to sway side to side as a slow, basic dance and their lips eventually separated and Glynda rested her head against Ozpin's, looking deep into his eyes.

_We're a team_. _It's a brand new chapter_, Ozpin thought to himself as he fully surrendered himself to the moment.

"I won't take 'no' for an answer."**

**AN: Well that's it for this volume. Fortunately, this isn't the end of Team Ozpin. I have components for an amazing storyline for a second volume. Originally, there wasn't going to be a second volume, but I can't bear the idea of passing up the chance to tell a new story that I think transcends the story of the first volume. Seriously guys, it's going to be wild!**

**Before publishing the first chapter for Volume 2 however, there are few other stories I'll be doing first. I decided to do something outside of my comfort zone, so I came up with an idea for a...Thor romantic comedy. Alongside that, I'll be writing a short sequel series for my other fanfic series The Silvan Elf, so keep an eye out for that one!**

**Thank you for the support and feedback! I honestly didn't expect to receive the level of support I got. This series was originally an experiment that I didn't really think was going to grow into anything big, but now it's getting a ****_second _****volume! Thanks again!**

**Acknowledgements and Dedication**

**Normally I don't dedicate my stories to anyone in particular, but for this one, I dedicate this series to Monty Oum, the creator of RWBY who passed away on February of 2015. RWBY is still being made in order to continue Monty's legacy, but his passing was very sad news for me and RWBY fans and other people that loved Monty's work. He was a massive inspiration that I'll always remember. Rest in peace Monty. We love you.**

**Elfin Maid - I'd like to thank Elfin Maid for once again being so supportive with my fanfics. Please check out her fanfics, she's a very talented writer.**

**Gabriel - I'd like to thank a personal friend of mine Gabriel who has been a great supporter of this series. His positive words have been an encouragement to me to keep going.**

**I'd like to thank the Rooster Teeth crew for creating such a fun series, gifting us with a world thats so much fun to play around in. Miles Luna, Kerry Shawcross, and Gray G. Haddock are extraordinarily talented people who work hard on this show, and their determination to keep going despite Monty's absence is admirable and I wish them the best of luck!**

**Follow me as a Favorite Author to keep an eye out for more fanfics by me! I always love coming up with surprises.**


	14. AN

**Hey there! I've been absent on as a whole for a little while, so I wanted to drop this in to give you guys an update on what's coming.**

**Team Ozpin Series Two ****_is _****currently in the works right now, and I'm working on the third chapter right now. That's right, for the first time ever on , I am writing all thirteen chapters of my next project before publishing any of it on the site. I'm still debating on whether or not I should complete the thirteen chapters and publish one a week, or put all of them up at once so that you guys can binge-read them if you'd like (you know that you do that with fan fiction). The reason why I'm going to write and complete all thirteen chapters before publishing any of the volume is because I want to make sure that the story is exactly the way I want it and that it's written well and nicely polished, because I've had continuity mishaps and mistakes made on previous fanfic projects because I would write a chapter, publish it, then move on to the next and so on and so forth, so I had a difficult time being able to see the story as a whole.**

**Hopefully this new strategy will make my storytelling better. So far, I'm very impressed with the way this volume of Team Ozpin is turning out so far, and I'm making sure to pour all my passion for RWBY into it, as well as making sure that I have fun in the process. I love RWBY, and I love the characters and the world that the late Monty Oum created and I hope that that passion can be seen reflected in this volume. When I get to be absolutely sure, I'll make sure to post a new Author's Note to announce the day that I will be publishing the first chapter, but unfortunately that date is up in the air right now, like the release date of the third volume of RWBY. All I can say is, it will be soon, and definitely before December.**

**As a little sneak peek into what's coming, I can assure you that you'll get to see more development of the relationship between Ozpin and Glynda, but there's someone that Glynda will be traveling with that's not Ozpin, and I think that that dynamic will be really interesting. You'll also get to learn a lot more about the OC Signal (nicknamed the Lioness), and she's going to go through some crazy stuff in this volume that will most likely cause some very significant changes for her. I also have new characters for this volume that will either be helping the original characters, or be giving them a really hard time (I can tell you that the latter is fairly significant regarding some of them). I'm excited for you guys to experience Series Two, and I'm really excited to finish it.**

**Until next time!**


	15. AN: Volume Two Announcement

Hey everybody, this is the final author's note for Team Ozpin Volume One, because it's an announcement for the official release of Volume Two! The first chapter of Volume Two has been posted, with one to two new chapters getting posted every week from now on. What makes this particular volume special is that I have an editor for Volume Two who goes by the name of Elfin Maid on this website and has been a great supporter and editor for this story. I'm still working on the last three chapters, but they'll be finished long before I reach that point in publishing the chapters. Thanks for reading and I hope you guys like Volume Two!


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